A 28-year-old nurse returning home after an overnight shift at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn was killed Saturday morning after she was struck by a car in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The driver left the scene and remained at large as of Monday.
Jiayi Zheng was crossing near 55th Street and Third Avenue shortly after 7:30 a.m. when she was hit by a southbound Cadillac sedan, according to police. Investigators said the vehicle was a 2014 Cadillac four-door sedan with Pennsylvania plates.
Zheng suffered severe trauma to her head and body. She was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, the same hospital where she worked, and was pronounced dead.
What police know about the vehicle
Investigators are looking for the driver of the Cadillac, which was traveling south on Third Avenue when it struck Zheng.
The driver did not stop after the crash. No arrest had been announced as of Monday, and the NYPD’s investigation remains active.
Surveillance video reviewed by local news outlets appears to show the vehicle continuing through the intersection after striking Zheng. Authorities have not publicly identified the driver.
Anyone with information about the crash can contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted anonymously.
Zheng had just finished her overnight shift
Zheng had been working at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn before the crash. Colleagues remembered her as someone who brought a positive attitude to difficult shifts and was willing to help others.
NYU Langone Health said the hospital community was deeply saddened by her death and extended condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.
The Federation of Nurses/UFT also mourned Zheng, describing her loss as devastating for the nursing community.
The crash occurred only a short distance from the hospital, making the circumstances especially painful for the people who worked with her.
Third Avenue safety concerns return to focus
Zheng’s death has renewed attention on safety along the section of Third Avenue that runs beneath the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
Transportation Alternatives said she was the 11th person killed while walking or biking along the roughly two-mile stretch since 2014. The group said those deaths include six pedestrians and five cyclists.
The organization also pointed to the 2020 death of another NYU nurse who was killed while biking home after an overnight shift near the same area.
For residents and transportation advocates, Saturday’s crash has brought renewed pressure to move forward with long-discussed changes to the corridor.
City says Third Avenue redesign is moving forward
There is also a new development on that front.
The city said last week that it and the state are advancing traffic-safety and quality-of-life investments around the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway corridor. The plans include a traffic-safety redesign of Third Avenue in Sunset Park.
The city’s announcement said the work is intended to address safety and neighborhood conditions along areas affected by the BQE. More details on the Third Avenue project are expected as the planning process moves forward.
That announcement came just days before Zheng was killed on the same corridor.
Residents have previously raised concerns about traffic speeds and the amount of time pedestrians have to cross the avenue. Advocates are now urging the city to move faster on safety improvements.
For Zheng’s family, colleagues and friends, however, the focus remains on a nurse whose life ended while she was simply making her way home after caring for patients through the night.
The NYPD has not announced an arrest. The investigation is ongoing.
