A pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Washington Heights early Friday morning, police say.
The victim was crossing Audubon Avenue at West 176th Street at about 4:40 a.m. when he was struck by a dark-colored vehicle going northbound on the avenue, police say. The vehicle fled the scene.
The pedestrian, identified as 39-year-old Antonio Ramirez of Washington Heights, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ramirez's teenage daughter Leslie Ramirez said "the cops came and knocked at our door and one of the cops, he couldn't speak."
Crying as she described her loss, she said her plans to celebrate her 15th birthday with her father will never happen.
"This biggest part of it is the dance you have with your dad," she said. "And that man took that dance away from me."
"He took away that one special person I had in my life."
Local
The intersection was part of a proposed slow zone petitioned by local lawmakers and neighbors to the DOT. The application for a slow zone was rejected this week, but local officials said they would appeal.
State Senator Adriano Espaillat called the intersection one of the most dangerous locations in the city, saying drivers exiting the the George Washington Bridge or Cross Bronx Expressway race through the neighborhood.
Tracie Strahan contributed to this report.
