A 66-year-old man was struck and killed early Saturday morning in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood, and police are now searching for the driver who fled the scene. According to Eyewitness News, witnesses say the pedestrian was hit by what appeared to be a United States Postal Service truck, and the fatal crash has prompted an active investigation. Neighbors reacted with shock, with one resident saying simply, "This is a tragedy. It's horrible."
The crash happened at about 5:30 a.m. on Ninth Avenue, between West 54th and West 55th streets. People in Hell's Kitchen were upset to learn that a pedestrian had been struck and killed there, in an area they described as residential. One local said they regularly see close calls and bad incidents involving cars turning in the neighborhood, calling such incidents terrible.
Police say they are searching for a U.S. Postal Service driver who allegedly hit the 66-year-old victim and then left the scene of the fatal crash. According to investigators, the man was crossing mid-block on Ninth Avenue when he was struck by the USPS truck. The scene drew a heavy response, with detectives, officers and highway patrol all responding to the avenue.
A worker named Acetta, who is employed at Saco Pizza near where the crash happened, witnessed first responders giving the victim CPR at the scene. Despite those efforts, the man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The victim's identity has not been released at this time.
The NYPD's Highway Collision Investigation Squad is handling the case as it works to determine exactly what happened. With the postal truck having left the scene, police are continuing to search for the driver, and authorities have not said whether that person has been identified or located.
For people who live and work in the area, the death has renewed concerns about pedestrian safety. Those Eyewitness News spoke with said they would like to see drivers slow down and be more mindful of people walking. One person described fast-moving delivery and public service trucks as a problem he has been seeing nationwide, not just on this block.
Eyewitness News reached out to the U.S. Postal Service for comment on the crash but had not yet heard back. For now, the victim remains publicly unidentified, and the search for the driver of the truck that struck and killed him continues in Hell's Kitchen.