Driver Charged After Fatal New Year’s Hit-and-Run in East New York
A driver hit 68-year-old Elvin Sanchez at Linden Boulevard and Ashford Street in East New York on New Year’s Day, and prosecutors later charged Anselm Okeke after Sanchez died at Brookdale.
What We Know
Elvin Sanchez, 68, was crossing Linden Boulevard at Ashford Street in East New York shortly before 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, when a driver hit him. The official crash record says one pedestrian was killed and lists a sedan, failure to yield, and driver inattention. Police and prosecutors later identified the driver as 70-year-old Anselm Okeke, who they said stopped without getting out and then left the scene. Sanchez was taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he died. Court papers cited by the Daily News said Okeke admitted hitting Sanchez and told police he “got scared” and fled.
Shortly After Midnight on New Year’s Day
The official crash record places the fatal collision at Linden Boulevard and Ashford Street in Brooklyn at 12:55 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026, and records one pedestrian killed. Streetsblog and the Daily News reported that Sanchez was crossing against the pedestrian signal when a driver hit him and fled.
Emergency medical workers took Sanchez to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center. Press accounts reported that he died there.
The Pedestrian Was Identified as Elvin Sanchez
The Daily News identified the man killed as Elvin Sanchez, 68. Neighbors told the paper he had been grieving the recent death of his wife and had been visiting next-door residents daily.
News 12 reported that tenants in Sanchez’s building described him as kind and said he worked in a community center near his home.
Driver and Vehicle Details
The official record lists a sedan and cites failure to yield and driver inattention. The Daily News, citing court papers, described the vehicle as a 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis with Pennsylvania plates.
The official vehicle records agree that the driver was traveling east and that the front of the sedan was the point of impact, but they differ on whether the driver was going straight or making a left turn before the crash.
Police Later Arrested and Charged Anselm Okeke
The Daily News reported that police arrested Anselm Okeke, 70, later on Jan. 1 and that he lived within a mile of the crash scene. The paper said prosecutors alleged that Okeke hit Sanchez, stopped without getting out, and fled.
News 12 reported that Okeke was charged with leaving the scene of a deadly accident and was arraigned in criminal court. A judge ordered supervised release, according to News 12.
Linden Boulevard Has a Long Record of Serious Harm
The crash happened at Linden Boulevard and Ashford Street in East New York. CrashCountNYC’s location context for Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn shows 2,223 crashes, 1,585 injuries, 64 serious injuries, and 8 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.