New York City police are continuing their search for a driver who struck and killed a 22-year-old Brooklyn woman in a hit-and-run crash in Manhattan’s West Village, as investigators work to identify the person responsible.
The NYPD identified the victim as Destiny Murrell, 22, of Brooklyn. Police said Murrell was crossing Sixth Avenue near Washington Place when she was struck by a gray vehicle, described in reports as an SUV, during the early morning hours of Saturday, August 22. She was inside a crosswalk when the collision occurred.
According to investigators, the driver did not stop after hitting Murrell. CBS New York reported that the vehicle continued northbound on Sixth Avenue before turning onto Waverly Place, leaving officers searching for both the vehicle and its driver.
Emergency responders rushed Murrell to a hospital, but she could not be saved. Authorities later confirmed her death, turning the case into another fatal hit-and-run investigation on the streets of New York City.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene immediately after the collision. One witness told CBS New York that people nearby were screaming and rushed toward Murrell as emergency services were called. Police have not publicly released a description of the driver.
Investigators are now working to determine the precise circumstances surrounding the crash and locate the gray vehicle involved. Surveillance cameras in the heavily traveled West Village area could potentially play an important role in tracing the vehicle’s movements before and after the collision.
As of the latest update, no arrests had been made and the driver remained at large. The NYPD investigation is continuing.
Murrell’s death also adds to continuing concerns about pedestrian safety and hit-and-run crashes in New York, particularly in busy Manhattan neighborhoods where pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles frequently share congested streets.
Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the collision or has information that could help identify the driver to contact police as the search continues.
