Driver on East Flatbush Sidewalk Killed Yvette James
A woman driving a Lexus RX 350 went onto the sidewalk near Rutland Road and East 92nd Street around 1:30 p.m. Friday and killed Yvette James, whom friends described as a longtime neighborhood food-pantry volunteer.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Location under review
What We Know
Yvette James was on a sidewalk near Rutland Road and East 92nd Street on Friday afternoon when a woman driving a Lexus RX 350 turned at the corner, went onto the sidewalk and hit her, according to police accounts reported by local outlets. Reports gave James' age as 79 or 80. Witnesses and neighbors described her as a longtime food-pantry volunteer who lived nearby. Several accounts said the driver was turning from Rutland Road onto East 92nd Street, while the Daily News reported police as saying the turn was from East 92nd Street onto Rutland Road. Witnesses said the driver was speeding and that James was pinned against a wall and dragged. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and outlets reported no charge or arrest as the investigation continued.
A right turn ended on the sidewalk
Police accounts reported by the New York Post, ABC7, News12 Brooklyn and CBS New York said a woman driving a Lexus RX 350 was making a right turn from Rutland Road onto East 92nd Street around 1:30 p.m. when she went onto the sidewalk and hit James. ABC7 reported that the driver struck a sign first, while CBS reported that the driver struck a street planter, hit James and then crashed into a building.
The Daily News described the turn direction differently, reporting that police said the driver was turning from East 92nd Street onto Rutland Road. Witnesses in several accounts said James was pinned against a wall and dragged.
Rutland Road and East 92nd Street
The crash was reported near Rutland Road and East 92nd Street. Several outlets described the location as East Flatbush, while News12 Brooklyn's same-day story placed it in Brownsville before a follow-up described it as East Flatbush.
Friends and family members told News12 that James lived just down the block from the crash site. CBS New York reported that neighbors called her Miss Yvette and said she lived on the block.
Yvette James was known for helping neighbors
Family members at the scene identified the woman killed as Yvette James, News12 Brooklyn reported. ABC7 later reported that she had been identified as Yvette James and said her family declined to comment while collecting her personal belongings.
Reports gave James' age as 79 or 80. ABC7 and News12's follow-up said she was 79, while the New York Post and News12's same-day story described her as 80.
Neighbors and friends told ABC7 and News12 that James volunteered at a nearby church food pantry. ABC7 quoted her pastor saying she had helped there since 1998; News12 quoted the church's pastor saying she had been a regular for nearly 20 years.
Witnesses described speed at a familiar corner
ABC7 reported that witnesses said the driver was speeding before James was pinned against the wall. The New York Post quoted a witness saying drivers often turn the corner fast while trying to catch the light and end up on the sidewalk.
News12's follow-up said police were still investigating what led to the crash. The New York Post and CBS New York also reported that the investigation was ongoing.
The driver stayed, and reports said no charge had been filed
Police told News12 and the New York Post that the driver remained at the scene. ABC7 reported that the driver was taken to the hospital; the Daily News reported she was taken to Brookdale Medical Center for treatment.
ABC7, CBS New York, News12 and the New York Post reported that the driver had not been charged or arrested as the investigation continued. News12 also reported that a second person was taken to Brookdale Hospital, with further injury details pending in that account.