Truck Driver Fatally Hits Woman in Morrisania
A 43-year-old truck driver hit a woman crossing Franklin Avenue in Morrisania around 9 a.m. on Feb. 3, police told amNY, and the official record lists one 65-year-old pedestrian killed at Franklin Avenue and East 169th Street.
What We Know
A woman was killed Monday morning on Franklin Avenue in Morrisania. The official crash record says the crash happened at Franklin Avenue and East 169th Street at 8:56 a.m. and involved a flatbed truck whose driver was making a right turn. Police told amNY that a 43-year-old truck driver hit the woman as she crossed Franklin Avenue, and that she was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where she was pronounced dead. News12 identified the woman as Desiree Decosta, though its reported age conflicts with the official record and amNY.
A right-turning flatbed driver and a woman crossing the street
The official record places the crash at Franklin Avenue and East 169th Street at 8:56 a.m. on Feb. 3, 2025, and records one pedestrian killed. It lists the involved vehicle as a flatbed truck and says the driver was making a right turn.
Police told amNY that a truck driver hit the woman as she crossed Franklin Avenue around 9 a.m. and that responders found her unconscious with severe trauma. She was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, where authorities said she was pronounced dead.
The official record lists the flatbed as traveling west before the crash, while amNY reported that the truck was southbound. The sources therefore differ on the driver's direction of travel.
Public reports disagree on the woman's age
The official record and amNY described the victim as a 65-year-old woman. News12 identified her as Desiree Decosta but reported that she was 59, creating a conflict among the available public sources.
News12 reported that Decosta lived in Morrisania and that community members said the crash happened a few steps from her home. Neighbor Herbert Tyler called the death “tragic and unfortunate” and said residents were reminded to hold loved ones close.
amNY reported that the 43-year-old truck driver remained at the scene.
Franklin Avenue in Morrisania
The crash was recorded at Franklin Avenue and East 169th Street in Morrisania. amNY described the location as Franklin Avenue between East 168th and East 169th streets, and News12 reported that community members said it was only a few steps from Decosta's home.
Police said the investigation continued
amNY reported on the day of the crash that police had announced no arrests and that the investigation was ongoing.