Driver in Chinatown crash that killed 2 was on bail for April hit-and-run incident, according to police.

A driver of a stolen rental car, implicated in the deaths of two individuals in a high-speed crash in Manhattan’s Chinatown, had previously been arrested for leaving the scene of a serious accident but was released without bail. The Daily News has reported that the 23-year-old suspect was involved in a separate incident in April 2025, where she struck a pedestrian in Brooklyn and fled the scene before being apprehended later that day.

On April 13, 2025, at approximately 2:30 a.m., the woman crashed a white Nissan into a 22-year-old pedestrian near Coney Island Avenue and Beverly Road in Kensington. The victim sustained injuries to her collarbone, nose, mouth, and shoulder but ultimately survived the incident. Following her arrest, the driver was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and aggravated driving without a license. After an arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court, she was released without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on August 5, 2025.

In a tragic turn of events on the morning of Saturday, July 19, 2025, the same driver operated a stolen Chevrolet Malibu while exiting the Manhattan Bridge. Reports indicate that around 7:30 a.m., she lost control of the vehicle, plowing into a busy pedestrian island and dislodging a metal bench. A 63-year-old woman, identified as May Kwok, who was seated on the bench, was killed upon impact, suffering catastrophic injuries. A second victim, 55-year-old Kevin Cruickshank, was riding his bicycle when he was thrown against a nearby storefront by the force of the crash. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

After the collision, the driver crashed into an unoccupied NYPD van before fleeing the scene on foot, accompanied by a 22-year-old passenger. Eyewitnesses attempted to intervene, but the two fled approximately one city block before being apprehended by police. As of now, law enforcement has not released the driver’s identity, and charges related to this latest incident remain pending. The community continues to grapple with the aftermath of these incidents, highlighting ongoing concerns regarding traffic safety and accountability for reckless driving.

As investigations progress, the focus will turn to potential sentencing and measures that could be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

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