Truck driver kills 77-year-old man in Chinatown.
Milton Williams drove a truck onto the sidewalk near Bowery and Canal Street on September 10, killing Ting Jun Ye, 77, and injuring two women, including Ye's daughter.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Approximate reported location.
What We Know
On September 10, 2026, a truck driver mounted the sidewalk near Bowery and Canal Street and hit three pedestrians. Ting Jun Ye, 77, died; his daughter, Yong Wong, and another woman were injured. The Daily News identified the driver as Milton Williams and reported that Ye was heading to a doctor's appointment. Gothamist reported that police took Williams into custody at Hester Street. The accounts differ on the time and on what the driver hit after leaving the sidewalk: Gothamist reported a parked sedan, while the Daily News reported a van and a box truck.
The driver mounted the sidewalk.
Police said a driver carrying more than 200 pallets in a Chevrolet truck turned from Canal Street onto Bowery, mounted the sidewalk and hit three pedestrians, Gothamist reported. The Daily News identified the driver as Milton Williams.
The accounts differ on the time and what happened next. Gothamist reported a crash at about 10:40 a.m. and said the driver continued north before hitting a parked sedan at Hester Street. The Daily News reported about 10 a.m. and said Williams hit a van and a box truck on Bowery.
Ye was on his way to a doctor's appointment.
Ting Jun Ye was 77 and had been married for more than 50 years, his family told the Daily News. He was heading to a doctor's appointment when the driver hit him.
Ye's daughter, Yong Wong, was also injured. Gothamist reported that both injured women were in stable condition on September 10. Two days later, the Daily News reported that Wong remained hospitalized with a severe spinal injury.
The crash happened at Bowery and Canal Street.
The intersection sits near the Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown. Gothamist reported that the city's proposed Canal Street sidewalk widening stopped at Elizabeth Street, short of Bowery. A Chinatown resident told Gothamist she avoids crossing near Canal and Bowery when she can.
Police took the driver into custody.
Police took the 66-year-old driver into custody at Hester Street, Gothamist reported. As of September 10, authorities were investigating why the driver mounted the sidewalk and whether he would face charges.