NYU Langone nurse killed in hit-and-run in Brooklyn. Here's what we know about the driver.
The NYPD is searching for the driver in a hit-and-run that killed a nurse in Brooklyn on Saturday morning.
Police said officers responded to a call about a collision at 55th Street and Third Avenue in Sunset Park at around 7:35 a.m. Police sources said a 2014 Cadillac four-door sedan with Pennsylvania license plates was traveling southbound on Third Avenue when it struck a woman who was crossing in the intersection at 55th.
The driver did not remain on scene. No arrest has been made and the investigation is ongoing, police said.
Victim pronounced dead at hospital she worked at
Police said the victim, identified as 28-year-old Jiayi Zheng, sustained severe trauma to the head and body and was pronounced dead at NYU Langone-Brooklyn, where she had just finished working a night shift.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jiayi Zheng, a nurse at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. This is a tragic loss, and we extend our sincere condolences to her family, loved ones, and colleagues. Our nurses play an essential role in caring for others with compassion and dedication, and this loss is being felt across our entire community," NYU Langone Health said in a statement.
"We grieve her loss and honor her memory by recognizing the kindness and compassion she brought to our work and our community," said UFT Vice President Anne Goldman, who leads the Federation of Nurses/UFT.
"I can't believe she's gone. She was taken so young," a colleague added. "She was such a positive nurse. Whenever I got a shift with her, I'd always be excited. She was always smiles, even in the worst situation. She would help you out no matter what."
Transportation advocacy group sounds alarm on Third Avenue
Transportation Alternatives says another NYU nurse was killed by a vehicle while biking home from an overnight shift a block away back in 2020. The advocacy group says a total of 11 people have been killed while biking or walking since 2014 along the two-mile stretch of Third Avenue that runs under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
"It's just unbelievably tragic and it's in fact a little bit enraging because this stretch of 3rd Avenue had been in line for safety improvements going back to 2023," said Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.
He's calling on the Mamdani administration to expedite the plan, which would include fewer lanes of traffic for pedestrians to cross over.
"The cars are really fast and the lights, they turn so fast, so like there's not too much time," Sunset Park resident Yan Ou said.
"Sometimes, it can be dangerous," resident Bryan Castro added.
A representative for the city Department of Transportation said, in part, "The Mamdani administration is committed to advancing a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue that will reflect the needs of the community and enhance safety," adding there will be "more information in the coming months."
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
