Elderly Neighbor Killed in Sheepshead Bay Hit and Run

SHEEPSHEAD BAY – Yesterday afternoon as I was writing about a dramatic increase in recent traffic fatalities, another elderly neighbor was killed while crossing a street. And while we can argue whether 60-year-olds are elderly, the yet to be identified victim is the youngest of those killed in Sheepshead Bay this year.

It was pouring yesterday, October 16, when cops arrived around 5 pm. to find a 65-year-old woman with severe injuries at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Emmons Avenue. She was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/ Coney Island where she was pronounced dead. Information is sparse, and the investigation is ongoing by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad. What we know is that she was attempting to cross Ocean Avenue when a driver made a right turn from Emmons onto Ocean Avenue, hit her and fled the scene.

Even though the NYPD’s TrafficStat shows only two traffic deaths for the 61st Precinct for the year so far, she will be the fourth elderly victim of careless drivers this year:

• On Thursday, October 3, 2019, just before 7 pm, police responded to a 911 call for a pedestrian struck on the corner of Ford Street and Avenue V, in the confines of the 61st Precinct. Upon arrival, officers encountered a 73-year-old Phillip Simone of Batchelder Street with a right leg injury. EMS transported him to NYC Health & Hospitals/Coney Island where he was pronounced deceased on Friday, October 4th. A preliminary investigation determined that a 61-year-old male operating a 2019 Ford SUV eastbound on Avenue V, when he struck the pedestrian crossing the avenue outside the crosswalk to Ford Street. The driver remained on scene. The incident is being investigated by NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad.

• On Wednesday, March 6, 2019 around 4:20 pm, police responded to a 911 call of a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian in front of 2965 Avenue S, within the confines of the 61st Precinct. Upon arrival, responding officers encountered an unresponsive 85-year-old Stella Clinton of Gerritsen Avenue with trauma to the head. EMS transported her to Kings County Hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The 49-year-old male driver of the vehicle remained at the scene. The preliminary investigation determined that the 85-year-old female was walking westbound on the sidewalk on Avenue S when she was struck by a 2009 Toyota Highlander as the 49-year-old male operator backed into his driveway. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing by the New York City Police Department’s Highway Patrol Collision Investigation Squad.

On Sunday, January 20, 2019 just after 11 am, police responded to a 911 call for a pedestrian struck at the intersection of East 29th Street and Ave U in the confines of the 61st Precinct. Upon arrival, officers discovered 77-year-old Gail Ackerman of Haring Street laying on the pavement with a bloody nose and injuries to her pelvic area. EMS transported her to Kings County Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. A preliminary investigation by NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that the pedestrian was traveling in the crosswalk north to south on 29th Street, when she was struck by a 57-year-old operator of a 2016 Nissan SUV, making a left turn, attempting to go westbound on Ave U. The driver remained on scene after the collision. On Monday, January 21st, the medical examiner determined the pedestrian died due to her injuries as a result of this collision. On March 22 police arrested driver Richard Goldblatt, 58, of Avenue T and charged him with failure to Yield to Pedestrian and failure to Exercise Due Care.