Driver in Jeep Kills Pedestrian on Major Deegan Expressway
At about 1:33 p.m. on March 4, 2026, a 42-year-old man driving a 2011 Jeep hit and killed Douty Soumahoro, 30, on the Major Deegan Expressway in Van Cortlandt Park, records and police accounts show.
What We Know
Douty Soumahoro, 30, of Norwood, died after a 42-year-old man driving a 2011 white Jeep hit him on the Major Deegan Expressway in Van Cortlandt Park. Police told Norwood News that Soumahoro was crossing the highway from west to east as the driver traveled southbound in the left lane; the city crash record describes the pedestrian action as riding or walking along the highway against traffic. EMS took Soumahoro to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the driver remained at the scene, no arrests had been made, and the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad was investigating.
Police described a fatal afternoon crash on the expressway
The city crash record places the crash on the Major Deegan Expressway at 1:33 p.m. on March 4, 2026, with one pedestrian killed and no other injuries recorded. Police accounts published by Norwood News and News 12 said a 42-year-old man driving a 2011 Jeep hit a 30-year-old man in Van Cortlandt Park, and EMS took the pedestrian to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he died.
The crash happened where a highway cuts through Van Cortlandt Park
Reports placed the crash on the Major Deegan Expressway in Van Cortlandt Park, with News 12 and Hoodline describing the site as near West 233rd Street and Norwood News placing it in the vicinity of the Major Deegan Expressway and Jerome Avenue. Hoodline noted that the highway cuts Van Cortlandt Park in two and carries traffic past ballfields and walking trails.
The pedestrian was identified as Douty Soumahoro
Police identified the man who died as Douty Soumahoro, 30, of Norwood in the Bronx. The city crash record lists the killed pedestrian as a 30-year-old man.
Police and records identify the Jeep and driver
Norwood News reported that police described the driver as a 42-year-old man operating a 2011 white Jeep southbound in the left lane. The city crash record lists a 2011 Jeep SUV traveling south with one occupant and a licensed male driver.
Accounts differ on the pedestrian’s movement
Police told Norwood News that Soumahoro was crossing the highway from west to east when the driver hit him. The city crash record instead describes the pedestrian action as riding or walking along the highway against traffic and lists pedestrian error or confusion as a contributing factor.
The driver stayed, and police continued the investigation
Police said the driver remained at the scene. Norwood News reported that there were no arrests and that the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad was investigating.