A 28-year-old nurse was killed Saturday morning in a hit-and-run crash as she walked home from her overnight shift at NYU Langone-Brooklyn Hospital. The nurse, Jiayi Zheng, was struck by a black Cadillac sedan that ran a red light at the intersection of 55th Street and Third Avenue in Sunset Park.
Disturbing video footage captured the moment Zheng, still in her work scrubs, was hit and propelled into the air. She was pronounced dead at the same hospital where she worked, succumbing to head and neck injuries. The driver of the Cadillac did not stop at the scene.
Witnesses reported hearing the impact and seeing the vehicle speed away without stopping. Police indicated the vehicle may have had Pennsylvania license plates.
The incident occurred on a stretch of Third Avenue that has been identified as dangerous. State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who represents the area, reiterated calls for the New York City Department of Transportation to implement safety improvements on Third Avenue. Gounardes noted that two elderly residents were killed in a similar crash on the same avenue just over a year prior.
This tragedy echoes another incident in 2020, when nurse Clara Kang, 31, was killed by a motorcyclist while biking home from the same hospital. Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group, stated that Zheng is the ninth person killed by a hit-and-run driver in New York City in the past two weeks. The group also reported that 11 pedestrians and cyclists have died on the two-mile stretch of Third Avenue under the Brooklyn Queens Expressway since 2014.
Zheng was remembered by her colleagues as a dedicated and caring nurse. A spokesperson for NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn issued a statement expressing deep sadness over her passing and highlighting the essential role nurses play in the community.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing, and the driver remains at large.