Driver in SUV Kills Pedestrian in East Harlem Hit-and-Run
A driver in an SUV hit a 37-year-old woman around 2:16 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2025, at East 118th Street and Second Avenue, and police told Patch the driver left eastbound before she died at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem.
What We Know
On Oct. 19, 2025, around 2:16 a.m., city crash data recorded a 37-year-old woman pedestrian killed in East Harlem. The official record places the crash at East 118th Street and Second Avenue, while reviewed news accounts described the scene at or near Third Avenue. NYPD officials told Patch the woman was standing beside a double-parked SUV and speaking with the driver when the driver accelerated; police said an open side door hit her, the driver continued east on East 118th Street, and EMS took her to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where she died. Univision reported that the woman had tried to get into a white 4x4 before the driver sped away and that authorities asked the public for information. City data lists driver inattention or distraction, while a later vehicle entry lists pedestrian error or confusion, so the official files do not fully agree on contributing factors.
Police described an open-door hit-and-run
The city crash record says a 37-year-old woman pedestrian was killed at 2:16 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2025. NYPD officials told Patch that she had been standing beside a double-parked SUV and speaking with the driver when the driver accelerated. Police said an open side door hit her, the driver left eastbound on East 118th Street without stopping, and emergency workers took her to NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, where she was pronounced dead.
Records and reports point to different avenues on East 118th Street
The official crash record places the fatal crash at East 118th Street and Second Avenue in Manhattan. Patch reported the 911 call as near East 118th Street and Third Avenue, and Univision described the scene as the corner of Third Avenue and East 118th Street.
CrashCountNYC location data for Second Avenue in Manhattan counted 3,205 crashes, 1,880 injuries, 131 serious injuries and 12 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.
The official file lists a pedestrian victim and one SUV occupant
The fatality record identifies the person killed as a 37-year-old female pedestrian. Patch reported that authorities were withholding her name pending notification of her family.
The vehicle record lists a 2016 Toyota SUV traveling east with one occupant and identifies a male driver with a New York license status of unlicensed.
Official entries differ on contributing factors
The main city crash record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. A later vehicle entry for the same crash lists pedestrian or bicyclist error or confusion, while another vehicle entry also lists driver inattention or distraction. Those official entries do not fully align.
The press accounts focused on the driver’s movement from beside the woman: Patch reported that the driver accelerated while she stood next to the SUV, and Univision reported that she had tried to get into a white 4x4 before the driver sped away.
Police had made no arrests in the initial report
Patch reported that authorities had not made any arrests and that the investigation was continuing. Univision reported that authorities asked community members to share information that could help the case.