WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn (WABC) — Gathered in shock and in prayer, members of the Orthodox Jewish community in South Williamsburg are demanding answers after nine-year-old Yoel Jacobowitz was hit and killed by a bus Friday morning.
“The traffic here is crazy. There needs to be some guidance and some rules,” one resident said.
According to the NYPD, it happened around 8:15 a.m. as a private yeshiva bus was turning from Lee Avenue onto Lorimer Street.
Police say the young boy was crossing the street on his way to school when the bus struck him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators say the 49-year-old driver initially drove away, but later returned after someone waved him down and informed him of what had happened.
“I’m sorry for the mother. I’m a mother too. I was very careful. I feel very bad,” Rosa Baez said.
The five-way intersection, which also connects with Wallabout Street, was recently under construction and currently lacks crosswalks and clear street markings.
Residents say the intersection is extremely dangerous, especially in a neighborhood filled with families and children, and particularly on a day when many were preparing for Shabbat.
“It’s a very, very busy intersection. We have a lot going on – a lot of stores and a lot of people crossing over. We need something to be done so this doesn’t keep happening,” another community member said.
City leaders are now urging the Department of Transportation to immediately implement safety improvements and review pedestrian signal timing.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on X, saying, “I am devastated by the loss of a 9-year-old boy struck this morning while crossing the street in Williamsburg. My heart is with his family and loved ones as they endure this tragic loss. Children should be safe walking around our city, and this horrific road death is a painful reminder that we must continue to use every tool available to make our streets safe for all New Yorkers.”
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