Dump truck driver killed pedestrian at Kingsland and Richardson
A driver in a dump truck hit and killed Agustina Muniz while turning at Kingsland Avenue and Richardson Street, where the official record says she was crossing with the signal.
What We Know
Agustina Muniz was crossing Kingsland Avenue at Richardson Street in Brooklyn on the morning of Aug. 21, 2023, when a driver in a dump truck made a left turn from Richardson Street and hit her, police said. The city crash record says the pedestrian was at the intersection and crossing with the signal; it lists traffic-control disregard and driver inattention or distraction for the truck driver. Police said the driver left the scene. More than a month later, the Daily News reported that Luis Gutierrez, 28, surrendered to police and was awaiting arraignment on a manslaughter charge.
The turn at the intersection
The crash happened at 6:41 a.m. on Aug. 21, 2023, at Kingsland Avenue and Richardson Street. The official record says one pedestrian was killed and no one else was reported injured.
Police said Agustina Muniz was crossing Kingsland Avenue when a dump truck driver made a left turn from Richardson Street and hit her. The official pedestrian record says she was at the intersection and crossing with the signal.
Muniz died at Woodhull Hospital
Medics took Muniz to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull, where police said she was pronounced dead. The Daily News reported that she suffered severe body trauma.
North Brooklyn News reported that Muniz lived in Cooper Park Houses and had served meals at the housing complex community center for thirty years. Debra Benders, president of the Cooper Park Resident Council, said, "We will truly miss her."
Police records and later reporting pointed to traffic-control disregard
The city crash record lists traffic-control disregard as the crash-level contributing factor. The truck record also lists driver inattention or distraction and says the driver was making a left turn.
A lawyer for Muniz's family told the Daily News that dashcam video showed the dump truck driver running a red light before turning. The article attributed that description to the family's lawyer, not to the official crash record.
A suspect surrendered more than a month later
Police initially said the driver did not remain at the scene. On Sept. 26, the Daily News reported that Luis Gutierrez, 28, surrendered to police, had been indicted by a grand jury, and was awaiting arraignment on a manslaughter charge.
The Daily News reported that the family's lawyer said the family was suing Gutierrez and J Brothers Trucking, which the lawyer identified as his employer because he was driving a company vehicle at the time of the collision.
A truck route issue near Cooper Park Houses
North Brooklyn News reported that Richardson Street is not a truck route, and that Kingsland Avenue is not a truck route north of Greenpoint Avenue and south of Norman Avenue. The outlet noted that trucks may travel off truck routes to reach destinations, but must minimize that distance and carry bills of lading for inspection.
After the fatal crash, the outlet reported, the 94th Precinct maintained a presence at the site, ticketing drivers, checking bills of lading, and sharing truck-route safety information.