Wrong-Way Driver Charged in West Village Crosswalk Death
Gary Levinson was later charged after police records say a left-turning GMC driver disregarded traffic control at Morton Street and Seventh Avenue South, where reports say Levinson drove the wrong way and hit Valerie Schoeck in the crosswalk.
What We Know
Valerie Schoeck, 27, was crossing Morton Street at Seventh Avenue South on the morning of Nov. 6, 2025, when police and later news reports said Gary Levinson drove the wrong way after a left turn from a Morton Street parking garage and hit her in the crosswalk. The city crash record lists the driver’s action as making a left turn and cites traffic control disregarded as a contributing factor. Medics took Schoeck to Bellevue Hospital, where reports said she died about 40 minutes later. Police said Levinson remained at the scene and was questioned; in February 2026, police arrested him on charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving. Sources differ in how they describe the GMC: the city record classifies it as a station wagon/SUV, while news reports describe a rented black GMC Savana van.
A morning crossing on Morton Street
The crash was recorded at 8:34 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2025, at Morton Street and Seventh Avenue South. The city record says a 27-year-old pedestrian was in a marked crosswalk at the intersection and was killed.
News reports identified the pedestrian as Valerie Schoeck and said Gary Levinson, driving from a Morton Street parking garage, turned left and drove against traffic before hitting her in the crosswalk. Medics took Schoeck to Bellevue Hospital, where reports said she died about 40 minutes later.
The corner was beside a parking garage on a one-way street
The official record places the fatal crash in Manhattan’s West Village, at Morton Street and Seventh Avenue South. The Daily News reported that the driver was pulling out of a Morton Street parking garage and that investigators believed he was trying to avoid circling several blocks by driving the wrong way.
Valerie Schoeck was 27
Police and news reports identified the victim as Valerie Schoeck, 27. Gothamist reported that she lived less than a mile from the crash site, and the Post reported that she was originally from Cambridge and living in the West Village.
Reports said Schoeck was preparing for a wedding the following summer. Gothamist reported that a GoFundMe in her honor supported Our House, a grief-support nonprofit; the Daily News described a separate GoFundMe account connected to her love of animals and a planned safari honeymoon.
Investigators focused on the wrong-way left turn
The city crash record lists the driver’s pre-crash movement as making a left turn and cites traffic control disregarded as a contributing factor. Daily News, Gothamist and Post reports all said Levinson was driving against the flow of traffic when he hit Schoeck.
The sources describe the GMC differently. The city record classifies it as a station wagon/SUV and lists a 2020 GMC car/SUV, while news reports describe a rented black GMC Savana or Savanna van.
Charges came months later
Police said Levinson remained at the scene and was questioned on the day of the crash. In February 2026, police arrested him on charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving.
Gothamist reported that Levinson was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. Levinson’s lawyer called the crash a horrible accident and said his thoughts and prayers were with Schoeck’s family and friends.