[UPDATE BELOW] Two pedestrians and one cyclist were killed by drivers in three separate incidents across the city last night.
According to police, a 57-year-old man was struck by the driver of a 2001 BMW on Bowery between Rivington and Prince streets around 6:51 p.m. The driver, identified as 24-year-old Danny Lin, allegedly attempted to flee the scene but was ultimately forced to a stop after he smashed into fire hydrant on Stanton Street. The victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian, where he was pronounced dead.
Lin was arrested at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
A few hours later in Brooklyn, a 27-year-old pedestrian was hit by a driver near the corner of Utica Avenue and Winthrop Street in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens just before 10 p.m. Police arrived to find Jason Aitcheson unresponsive on the ground, with severe bodily trauma. He was taken to Kings County Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. An investigation determined that he was struck and subsequently dragged by the driver of a white van, who proceeded to flee south on Utica Avenue. The driver has not been caught.
Back in Manhattan, a 61-year-old cyclist was hit and killed by the driver of a cab on East Houston just before 10 p.m.
Update, 1:50 p.m.: Danny Lin, who was found responsible for running over a pedestrian on Bowery, is facing charges of criminally negligent homicide after an investigation revealed that he was traveling at least 50 mph at the time of the crash—more than 25 mph above the city's newly-lowered default speed limit.
