NEED TO KNOW
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A woman who was reportedly planning her wedding was hit and killed by a wrong-way driver while crossing the street
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A NYPD spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE that the victim was identified as 27-year-old Valerie Schoeck
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Neighbors and people who work near the incident said they often see others incorrectly go down the street due to a lack of signage, according to CBS News New York
A woman who was hit by a wrong-way driver while walking across the street in New York City has died. She was in the process of planning her wedding, local news outlets reported.
The New York Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the victim was 27-year-old Valerie Schoeck, who moved to New York City from Cambridge, Mass.
The incident happened just after 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6 as Schoeck was walking across the street near the intersection of Morton Street and Seventh Avenue in Greenwich Village, ABC 7 NY and NBC New York reported.
A 61-year-old man was identified as the driver. He was allegedly driving a 2020 GMC van with New Jersey plates that was rented from a company located near the accident, and had just pulled out of the business’ garage when he struck Schoeck.
Witnesses and others who live and work in the area told reporters that there is no visible signage in the area indicating that the road is a one way street.
The rental agent, who loaned the 61-year-old driver the van, told ABC 7 NY in an on-camera interview that he did not see the accident happen, but he “heard a lot of commotion.”
“I looked outside. I saw somebody on the ground and they were already giving her CPR,” he said. “So I just called the ambulance.”
Philip Mortillaro, who has worked in the neighborhood for decades, said drivers going the wrong way down that particular street is nothing new.
“A lot of the times, many times, cars come down Morton Street and they make a left onto Seventh Avenue, especially if there’s no traffic,” he told CBS News New York. “I’m here 45 years. If I tell you how many cars come up Seventh Avenue the wrong way coming out of Morton Street, it’s a lot.”
Surveillance footage from a nearby venue caught the reaction to the fatal collision, as one car abruptly stopped in the middle of the road and several passersby also stopped in their tracks.
One man was seen on camera running back towards Schoeck to help. However, she succumbed to her injuries.
Audacity radio station WINS-FM shared news of the incident on TikTok, where a woman who identified herself as Carol said Schoeck was set to be married.
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“The woman killed is my nephews fiancé. We are all shocked and desperately saddened and in disbelief. Her name is Valerie,” the user commented on the video. “She was to be married in June. There are no words to describe the grief. She was an extraordinary gorgeous young lady. Thank you for your prayers.”
Her fiancé declined to speak to media, the New York Post reported.
The driver of the 2020 GMC van stayed at the scene and answered questions from police. No arrests have been made, CBS News New York, ABC 7 NY and NBC New York reported.
Read the original article on People
