An elderly woman tragically lost her life in a hit-and-run incident in Brooklyn on Thursday night. The 71-year-old victim, accompanied by her 44-year-old daughter, was crossing the intersection of Eldert Street and Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick around 5 p.m. when a blue Mazda CX-5 with Massachusetts license plates struck them. The daughter also sustained injuries in the collision but is currently in stable condition after being transported to Elmhurst Hospital.
Eyewitnesses and police sources report that the driver of the SUV was attempting to evade law enforcement when the incident occurred. After colliding with the pedestrians, the driver, described as a person with a ponytail wearing a blue t-shirt and blue jeans, fled the scene on foot towards the Halsey Street subway station. It remains unclear whether the driver sought refuge underground.
Surveillance footage obtained by The Post reveals the blue SUV speeding east on Eldert Street, narrowly avoiding a collision with a red car traveling on Knickerbocker Street. A witness, Sandra Villaman, confirmed that a police car was in pursuit of the Mazda leading up to the crash. Villaman described the vehicle as moving at a high rate of speed.
The owner of a white van, Rodrigo Gonzalez, who was also involved in the hit-and-run, expressed his shock and sorrow upon witnessing the aftermath of the incident. Gonzalez recounted hearing a loud crash and rushing outside to find his van pressed against a tree. He then noticed the two injured women on the ground, with first responders attempting to resuscitate the older victim. The driver had already fled the scene by that time.
