The driver of an NYPD tow truck who fatally struck a 7-year-old on Thursday has been arrested, according to the NYPD.
Photo by Dean Moses
An NYPD Traffic Enforcement Agent has been arrested in connection with the death of a 7-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a police tow truck as he crossed the street with his mother in Fort Greene on Thursday morning.
Police identified the boy as Kamei Hughes — earlier reports had named him as Kamari Hampton. The 7-year-old lived at Cumberland Walk, just blocks from where he was killed on the way to school near Fort Greene Park.
The driver of the truck, 54-year-old NYPD member Stephanie Sharp, was arrested following the incident at the intersection of North Portland Avenue and Myrtle Avenue on the morning of Oct. 26.
Sharp is facing charges of failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care.
The NYPD said its collision investigation squad determined that Sharp was driving the tow truck westbound on Myrtle Avenue when she made a right turn to travel northbound onto North Portland Avenue. As she turned, Sharp hit Hughes in the crosswalk as he rode his green stand-up scooter.
Witnesses at the scene told Brooklyn Paper the driver of the truck was allegedly using her cell phone when she hit Kamei, who was steps ahead of his mother.
The NYPD said the investigation is ongoing.
According to the commuter advocacy group, Transportation Alternatives, Kamei was the 9th child to die in a traffic incident on NYC streets this year.
The group have accused Mayor Eric Adam’s administration of blocking or delaying infrastructure projects set out in the the NYC Streets Plan.
“New Yorkers have had enough with this administration’s excuses on street safety. How many more children have to die before Mayor Adams takes action?” Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris said in a statement Thursday.
Following Kamei’s death, Councilmember Crystal Hudson and Brooklyn Borough…
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