Driver kills 74-year-old man in Bay Ridge hit-and-run
A driver in a white SUV hit 74-year-old Segundo Reina-Gaon as he crossed Ridge Boulevard at Bay Ridge Avenue on Sept. 11, 2024, and fled a crash that the official record says killed one pedestrian.
What We Know
Segundo Reina-Gaon, 74, was crossing Ridge Boulevard at Bay Ridge Avenue in Bay Ridge around 8:56 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2024, when a driver in a white SUV hit him and left the scene, according to police accounts reported by local outlets. The official crash record lists one pedestrian killed at the intersection and identifies driver inattention or distraction for a northbound 2012 Honda SUV, with a parked 2020 Dodge SUV also recorded. Reporters said surveillance video showed Reina-Gaon in the crosswalk near the northeast corner before impact, and police reviewed video as they investigated the fatal hit-and-run.
A driver left after hitting a man in the crosswalk
The crash happened at about 8:56 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2024, at Ridge Boulevard and Bay Ridge Avenue in Brooklyn. The official record lists one pedestrian, a 74-year-old man, killed at the intersection.
Police told reporters that Segundo Reina-Gaon was crossing Ridge Boulevard when a driver in a white SUV hit him and fled. Brooklyn Paper and ABC7 reported that he was walking west to east in the crosswalk and that the impact pushed him into a parked car.
The official vehicle record and press accounts align on a northbound SUV
The official record identifies a northbound 2012 Honda SUV going straight ahead, with damage to the right front bumper, and lists driver inattention or distraction for that driver. It also records a parked 2020 Dodge SUV with rear-side damage.
News reports described the driver who fled as the driver of a white SUV traveling northbound on Ridge Boulevard. The reports did not identify the driver.
Police investigated a fatal hit-and-run
Paramedics took Reina-Gaon to NYU Langone-Brooklyn, where he died. The Daily News reported that the NYPD Highway Collision Investigation Squad was investigating, and ABC7 reported that police were studying surveillance video and used a drone while reconstructing what happened.
Brooklyn Paper reported on Sept. 12 that no arrests had been made and that police asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. In a Sept. 24 follow-up, the outlet reported that police had released no additional information about the driver and that a precinct commander said the case was still under investigation.
Neighbors and relatives described a community loss
A witness outside Watchamacallit Deli and Grill told the Daily News, “He was an old man just crossing the street,” and added, “He never had a chance.”
Brooklyn Paper later reported that Yessica Rivera created a GoFundMe for Reina-Gaon’s family, describing him as a father of five and grandfather of 20. The campaign note thanked Bay Ridge for its support and said he was loved by many people in the community.
Bay Ridge residents had already raised safety concerns nearby
The fatal crash occurred at Ridge Boulevard and Bay Ridge Avenue in Bay Ridge. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes wrote that he had discussed safety concerns with city transportation officials one block away two days before the hit-and-run.
Residents told ABC7 that crashes and reckless driving were common in the area. Neighbor Jeffrey Diamond said he waits for turning lights and checks that drivers stop before stepping out; another neighbor, Amara Felice, said families were afraid because there were many reckless drivers.