Driver charged with murder after Canal Street crash kills two
The city crash record lists unsafe speed in the July 19 crash at Manhattan Bridge and Bowery that killed a bicyclist and a pedestrian, and prosecutors said Autumn Romero drove off the bridge at high speed before hitting Kevin Cruickshank and May Kwok.
What We Know
At about 7:26 a.m. on July 19, the city recorded a fatal crash at Manhattan Bridge and Bowery that killed a 55-year-old bicyclist and a 63-year-old pedestrian and injured one motorist; the record lists unsafe speed. Police later identified the dead as Kevin Cruickshank and May Kwok. Prosecutors said Autumn Romero, 23, was driving a rented Chevrolet Malibu westbound off the bridge at high speed when she hit Cruickshank, who was on a bike, and Kwok, who was sitting on a bench, before an unoccupied NYPD vehicle was also hit. Police charged Romero with murder, manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide and related offenses; Kennedy Lecraft, the passenger who prosecutors said rented the car and did not return it, was charged with weapon, stolen-property and unauthorized-use counts. Both later pleaded not guilty.
What officials said happened
The city crash record places the crash at Manhattan Bridge and Bowery at 7:26 a.m. on July 19, 2025. It records two deaths, one injured motorist, a westbound sedan, an eastbound bike and unsafe speed as a contributing factor.
Prosecutors said Autumn Romero was driving westbound off the Manhattan Bridge at a high rate of speed around 7:30 a.m. when she hit bicyclist Kevin Cruickshank and pedestrian May Kwok near Canal Street and Bowery. Officials said both were pronounced dead at the scene, and an unoccupied NYPD vehicle parked nearby was also hit.
Kevin Cruickshank and May Kwok
Police identified the bicyclist as Kevin Cruickshank, 55, of Manhattan, and the pedestrian as May Kwok, 63, of Brooklyn. Officials said Cruickshank was riding a bike and Kwok was sitting on a bench near the intersection.
Cruickshank’s family said he was “known for his warm, welcoming spirit and love of helping his friends and neighbors.” Kwok’s brother Peter Kwok told the New York Post, “I want to see justice for my sister.”
Charges, evidence and disputed claims
Police charged Romero with murder, manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, weapon possession, leaving the scene and related offenses. Prosecutors said police recovered two semiautomatic 9mm pistols and ammunition from a box in the trunk, and said passenger Kennedy Lecraft had rented the Chevrolet Malibu on June 29 and did not return it.
At Romero’s arraignment, prosecutors said police found an open bottle of tequila and a travel cup containing liquid with a strong odor of alcohol. Romero’s lawyer told Gothamist that Lecraft tried to grab the wheel and that Romero reacted by pressing the gas pedal; Lecraft’s attorney declined to comment. The Daily News later reported that Romero and Lecraft pleaded not guilty.
Why Canal Street and Bowery drew scrutiny
The crash happened at the Manhattan end of the bridge, where Canal Street and Bowery carry bridge traffic into a dense Chinatown intersection. Streetsblog described the bridge approach as highway-like and said advocates had long pressed city officials for safety changes on Canal Street.
After the deaths, city transportation officials said they would add physical barriers at Bowery and Canal Street, narrow some Manhattan-bound bridge lanes and start the process to lower the bridge approach speed limit from 35 mph to 20 mph. Gothamist reported that seven people had been killed in crashes on Canal Street between the West Side Highway and the Manhattan Bridge exit since 2011.
A memorial and a public call for action
West Side Spirit reported that a memorial grew at the crash site and that a protest vigil was held there on July 24. At the vigil, Kevin Cruickshank’s sister Sarah Witt said, “Kevin set out on his yellow taxicab bike for a ride to Coney Island. His trip was cut short at an intersection known to some to be very dangerous. It is time to make this known to all and time for the city to take action.”