NYC Chinatown deaths at hands of repeat offender cast light on stalled safety promises

Community members and officials are demanding immediate action after learning that the driver in a recent Manhattan crash had been arrested for another traffic incident a few months prior.

Catch up: Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero, 23, on July 19 drove a stolen rental car that came off the Manhattan Bridge at high speed and struck Kevin Cruickshank, 55, and May Kwok, 63, at Canal and Bowery streets, killing both. Police found drugs, an open tequila bottle and two semi-automatic weapons in the car, which also crashed into an empty police van.

Investigation revealed Romero had been arrested three months earlier for leaving the scene of an April 13 Brooklyn crash that left a 22-year-old pedestrian seriously injured, though she was released under New York’s bail reform laws. In connection with the latest incident, she is now facing second-degree murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter and other charges, while her passenger Kennedy Lecraft, 22, faces weapons and stolen property charges.

What loved ones are saying: Cruickshank’s sister, Sarah Witt, remembered her brother in a vigil Monday. “One Christmas Santa brought my brother and I matching bicycles. Winter did not stop Kevin. He was out the door riding his bike in the snow. His love of riding a bike followed him throughout his life,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cruikshank’s friend Ron Gentile criticized the layout of the intersection, where 12 people have reportedly died. “This is the fully predictable consequence of the design of this intersection,” Gentile said. “All your studies are stupid. This is an easy fix. Install concrete barriers immediately, and then install bollards,” he added, before slamming Mayor Eric Adams for characterizing the crash as an “unfortunate incident.”

The big picture: The deaths highlight ongoing problems with the city’s Vision Zero traffic safety program, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. Canal Street, for one, was designated a priority corridor in 2015, yet “no meaningful progress has been made,” Assemblymember Grace Lee said. Multiple studies and redesign plans have not helped: since 2022, another 18 people have been killed or seriously injured in the area. About 15,000 vulnerable residents reportedly live within a quarter-mile of Canal Street, prompting even more urgent solutions.

The Department of Transportation, which is currently studying safety upgrades, aims to update the community in the fall.