SUV Driver Killed Marcus Mclaughlin in Bronx NYCHA Lot
At 2:24 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2026, a driver in an SUV hit and killed 27-year-old pedestrian Marcus Mclaughlin at 645 Westchester Ave., then left the Melrose NYCHA parking lot, police told reporters.
What We Know
The fatal crash happened around 2:24 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2026, at 645 Westchester Ave. in the Bronx. City records say a driver in an SUV killed a 27-year-old male pedestrian, with driver inattention or distraction listed as a contributing factor. Police told reporters the driver left the scene after hitting the man inside a NYCHA parking lot in Melrose. News 12, citing loved ones, identified the victim as Marcus Mclaughlin and described him as a father of three. Reports differed on the SUV color: amNY described it as gray, while News 12 described surveillance of a black SUV being driven out of the lot.
Police said the driver left after hitting a pedestrian
City records place the crash at 2:24 a.m. on Feb. 8, 2026, at 645 Westchester Ave., where a driver in an SUV killed a 27-year-old male pedestrian and no other injuries were recorded.
Police told reporters the driver hit the man inside a NYCHA parking lot in Melrose and left the scene. amNY reported EMS took him to Lincoln Hospital with severe head trauma, where he was pronounced dead.
A Melrose NYCHA parking lot on a high-crash corridor
Reporters located the crash in a parking lot at St. Mary's Park Houses near Westchester and Cauldwell avenues; police confirmed to News 12 that officers responded at 645 Westchester Ave.
CrashCountNYC location data for Westchester Avenue in the Bronx recorded 1,543 crashes, 1,023 injuries, 97 serious injuries and 7 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Marcus Mclaughlin was mourned by neighbors and family
Loved ones identified the victim to News 12 as Marcus Mclaughlin, and the station described him as a father of three. Neighbors set up a memorial with candles, balloons and photos in the lobby of St. Mary's Park Houses.
Mclaughlin's aunt-in-law, Lisa Davanzo, told News 12, "He told his kids last night like, 'go to bed. Call me in the morning when you wake up,'" adding, "To wake up and not be able to speak or see your father, that's mad devastating."
City records cite driver inattention and backing before impact
City vehicle data lists one 2011 Nissan SUV and describes the driver as backing west before impact. The crash record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor.
News reports agreed that an SUV driver left the scene, but descriptions of the SUV color differed: amNY described it as gray, while News 12 described surveillance of a black SUV being driven out of the lot.
Police asked the public for information
The Daily News and amNY reported that no arrests had been made in the early investigation. Police said the NYPD Highway District or Collision Investigation Squad was handling the case and asked anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.