Police are on the hunt for a driver they say hit an 11-year-old girl and fled the scene in Sheepshead Bay last month.
The victim was crossing Emmons Avenue midblock between Bragg and Brigham streets at around 4 p.m. on March 16 when she was struck by a driver in a dark-colored BMW sedan, cops said, and was knocked to the ground.
After striking the girl, the driver did not stop, and fled east down Emmons Avenue toward Nostrand Avenue. The victim was taken to NYC Health+Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health by ambulance, but was not seriously injured, and was left with bruises and lacerations to the knees.
On April 7, police released photos of the suspected driver, who they described as a man with a slim build and short hair, last seen in a black sweatshirt and black pants. They did not specify the make or model of the dark-colored BMW sedan. The NYPD is asking anyone with knowledge of the incident or of the driver to contact Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-577- 8477 or submit tips online or on X @NYPDNews.
Leaving the scene of an accident where someone was injured carries a fine of $250-$500 and up to 90 days in jail for a first offense.
So far this year, total car crashes and collisions with pedestrians are down in the 61st Precinct, where the incident took place, according to NYPD data. As of April 5, there had been 56 crashes involving pedestrians, down 23% from the same period last year, and zero pedestrian fatalities. The number of pedestrian crashes and deaths have similarly dipped across the borough, as has the total number fatalities — but overall collisions are up slightly.
Despite reassuring statistics, Brooklyn has seen a spate of deadly crashes in the first few months of the year. In February, a school bus driver hit and killed an 11-year-old girl in Bath Beach. Two unrelated crashes left two people dead and dozens injured on March 11, when a cyclist was killed by a cement truck driver in Borough Park and a chain-reaction crash killed a 78-year-old Access-A-Ride passenger in Gravesend. On April 2, a 44-year-old woman died after a hit-and-run by an ambulance driver in Midwood.
