Two drivers fatally hit 74-year-old crossing FDR Drive
Two drivers hit 74-year-old pedestrian Derek Coker as he crossed the FDR Drive near the East Houston Street exit on April 15, 2026, and he died at Bellevue Hospital, according to police and the city crash record.
What We Know
Official crash records list a 74-year-old pedestrian killed on FDR Drive a little before 9 PM on April 15, 2026. Police identified him as Derek Coker and told reporters two 55-year-old drivers hit him near the East Houston Street exit. The records list a northbound Chevrolet SUV and a northbound Mitsubishi sedan; both drivers remained at the scene, according to police. Official records say Coker was crossing outside an intersection and without a signal or crosswalk, while the Daily News cited a police source saying surveillance video showed him climbing over a divider before trying to cross.
A fatal crossing on the northbound FDR Drive
The city crash record says the collision happened on FDR Drive at 8:43 p.m. on April 15, 2026, and killed one pedestrian, a 74-year-old man. Police identified him in news accounts as Derek Coker.
Medics took Coker to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Near the East Houston Street exit
The official record places the fatal collision on FDR Drive in Manhattan. Police accounts in both articles put it near the East Houston Street exit; Gothamist described the area as near the Lower East Side, while the Daily News described it as in the East Village.
Derek Coker and the drivers
Police identified the man who died as Derek Coker, 74. The Daily News reported that he lived in Queens, and Gothamist reported that his last known address was in Jamaica, Queens.
Police said the Chevrolet driver was a 55-year-old man and the Mitsubishi driver was a 55-year-old woman. Both drivers stayed at the scene, according to the Daily News and Gothamist.
The Chevrolet description differs across sources
The city record lists a 2025 Chevrolet SUV and a 2024 Mitsubishi sedan, with both drivers recorded as traveling north and going straight before the collision. Gothamist also described the Chevrolet as a black SUV and the Mitsubishi as a silver sedan. The Daily News described the Chevrolet as a black sedan.
Investigators focused on why Coker was on the highway
The city person record lists pedestrian error or confusion as a contributing factor for Coker. The Daily News reported that surveillance video recovered by police showed Coker climbing over a divider before trying to cross the highway, and Gothamist reported that officials were investigating why he was crossing the FDR Drive.
No immediate arrests or charges were reported
Police told Gothamist that no immediate arrests were made. The Daily News reported that both drivers remained at the scene and faced no immediate charges.