Driver leaves after fatal Bronx NYCHA parking-lot crash
A hit-and-run SUV driver killed a 27-year-old pedestrian around half past 2 AM near 645 Westchester Ave, where official crash records cite driver inattention.
What We Know
Official crash records say a driver in a 2011 Nissan SUV was backing westbound around half past 2 AM on Feb. 8, 2026, near 645 Westchester Ave in the Bronx; a 27-year-old pedestrian was killed. The records list driver inattention/distraction and right-front-quarter-panel damage. News reports described the site as within or near the St. Mary's Park Houses complex and said police were seeking the SUV driver after the crash; reports differed on whether the SUV was gray or black.
A fatal crash inside a housing-development parking lot
Police accounts cited by the Daily News and amNY placed the collision in or near the St. Mary's Park Houses parking lot. Both outlets reported that the driver left the scene and that EMS brought the man to Lincoln Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Marcus Mclaughlin was mourned by neighbors
News 12 identified the man who died as Marcus Mclaughlin, 27, and described him as a Melrose father of three. The station reported that a memorial with photos, candles and balloons grew inside the lobby of the St. Mary's Park Houses.
Neighbors interviewed by News 12 described grief and concern after the crash, including one neighbor who said she had known Mclaughlin since he was a child.
Records and reports describe the SUV differently
The city crash record lists a 2011 Nissan SUV, with the driver backing west before the crash. The same record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor.
Press accounts agreed that an SUV was involved, but they differed on color: amNY cited a gray SUV, while News 12 described surveillance video showing a black SUV leaving the parking lot. The Daily News reported that police had not immediately determined whether the driver knew someone had been hit.
Westchester Avenue has seen repeated serious harm
The crash location is at 645 Westchester Ave. in the Bronx. CrashCountNYC's corridor context for Westchester Avenue recorded 1,543 crashes, 1,023 injuries, 97 serious injuries and 7 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.
Police sought tips after the driver left
Initial reports said police had made no arrests and were asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers. The Daily News reported that the NYPD Highway District investigation squad was handling the case, while amNY referred to the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad.