What to Know
- A city sanitation truck struck and killed a woman in an early morning hit-and-run in the Bronx Tuesday, police say.
- The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of 138th Street and Willis Avenue in the Mott Haven section
- Investigation is ongoing; No arrests have been made
A city sanitation truck struck and killed a woman in an early morning hit-and-run in the Bronx Tuesday, police say.
The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of 138th Street and Willis Avenue in the Mott Haven section.
Police initially said that that early information showed the vehicle involved in the incident was silver in color, later confirming to News 4 that they were also looking into the possibility that a city sanitation truck was involved due to surveillance images.
By Tuesday afternoon, the NYPD determined that a 2007 NYC Sanitation sand spreader was traveling eastbound on East 138 Street and made a left turn on to northbound Willis Avenue, hitting the woman and fleeing the scene.
Surveillance video obtained by News 4 New York shows the truck turning left and running over the woman. The sand spreader continued to drive away, treating the roads -- even appearing to spray the woman as it headed down Willis Avenue.
The worker driving the truck has been suspended by the sanitation department.
Witness Jessica Stallings was walking her 6-year-old son to school when she saw the horrific aftermath.
"You could tell it was a lady from the shoe," she said. "The lady's shoe was in the middle of the street, not far from the body, and you could see the leg sticking out."
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Police still have not been able to identify the victim because she didn't have identification with her.
Local
Stallings said her son said, "'Mom, do you know what happened?' And I told him someone died, I don't know exactly how. And he said, 'Mom, that's sad,' and I said, 'Yeah, it is. We'll just pray for her.'"
In a statement regarding the incident and subsequent investigation, the department said: "We are cooperating fully with the police investigation. The Sanitation Worker involved has been suspended. Additionally, DSNY safety personnel are also conducting an investigation."
The incident prompted hours-long road closures while authorities gathered information and evidence at the scene. The scene has since been cleared and roads reopened.
No arrests have been made, police say, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
