Hit-and-run driver kills woman on Jamaica Avenue
A driver in a dark sedan hit and killed a woman crossing Jamaica Avenue at 155-10 in Jamaica on March 11, city records and police accounts show, then fled west through a bus-and-truck-only corridor.
What We Know
A woman was fatally injured on March 11 while crossing Jamaica Avenue near 155-10 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica, Queens. City records list her as a 58-year-old pedestrian; later news reports identified her as 57 and gave differing spellings of her name. Police told reporters a driver in a dark sedan was traveling west on Jamaica Avenue, hit her near Parsons Boulevard, and left the scene. Some reports said the driver was in a bus-and-truck-only zone. Medics took the woman to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she died. No arrests had been reported in the immediate aftermath.
Police said the driver left after hitting a pedestrian
The crash was recorded at 3:06 p.m. on March 11 at 155-10 Jamaica Ave. in Queens. Police told reporters the woman was crossing Jamaica Avenue from north to south near Parsons Boulevard when a driver in a dark sedan traveling west hit her and fled.
City records and press accounts differ on the crossing details. The official record places the pedestrian at an intersection and lists her action as crossing with no signal or crosswalk; QNS and the New York Post reported that police described her as crossing outside a marked crosswalk or mid-block.
The crash happened on a high-crash corridor in Jamaica
The fatal collision was recorded at 155-10 Jamaica Ave., near Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens. CrashCountNYC location data for Jamaica Avenue in Queens shows 2,156 crashes, 1,442 injuries, 77 serious injuries and 6 deaths since 2022.
Reports identified the victim, with conflicting spellings
The official record lists the woman as 58. Later reports identified her as 57, but used different spellings: the New York Post wrote Suzanne Schmeider, Patch wrote Suzanne Schmieder, and QNS wrote Suzanna Schieder.
The New York Post reported that a daughter identified as Sydney had launched a GoFundMe for funeral expenses. “We are just trying to move forward,” she told the Post.
Investigators described a dark sedan moving west
Police accounts described the driver as operating a dark-colored sedan westbound on Jamaica Avenue. The official vehicle record lists a 2001 Lincoln sedan going straight ahead and records damage to the center front end.
The New York Post, QNS and Patch identified the sedan as a 2001 Lincoln LS. QNS and Patch reported that the driver was last seen heading toward the Van Wyck Expressway.
Busway access and speed were part of the early accounts
ABC7 and the New York Post reported that police said the driver hit the woman in a bus-and-truck-only area of Jamaica Avenue. The Post also reported that a Department of Transportation sign at the corner said, “Do not enter, except trucks and buses 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.”
The city crash record lists improper passing or lane usage as the crash-level contributing factor and lists unsafe speed for the sedan. The Post reported that a security guard recalled seeing the driver speeding by, and that a nearby store owner said motorists tend to speed on Jamaica Avenue after crossing Parsons Boulevard.
Medics took her to Jamaica Hospital; police continued the search
Witnesses described emergency responders performing CPR at the scene. Medics took the woman to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Gothamist reported on March 12 that no arrests had been made. QNS later reported that the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad was continuing the investigation.