Mom dies days after she’s hit by runaway car while walking with her son, NY police say
“Dedicated,” “bright” and “such a nice person.”
That’s how friends and family remember Jennifer Tolliver, who died days after being struck by an out-of-control car while she and her 6-year-old son walked hand-in-hand along a sidewalk in Harlem last week, the New York Daily News reported.
Tolliver, 38, died from her injuries on Monday, April 4, the New York Police Department confirmed.
“She was really dedicated,” Tolliver’s mother, Tammie Lewis, told the Daily News. “She knew how to mediate between the people really well. She was always bright, smiling, fun, she was very vibrant. I’m gonna miss her.”
Officers responded just before 8:30 a.m. on March 28 to reports of a traffic crash near W 145 Street and Malcolm X Boulevard, according to a police report obtained by McClatchy News. The fatal crash occurred when the driver of a 2015 Toyota Camry lost control and jumped the curb, hitting two pedestrians, police said.
The 68-year-old driver, who police said may have suffered a medical episode, also plowed into a flower shop and hit several parked cars before coming to a rest, WABC reported.
The two pedestrians were taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to the NYPD. The driver stayed on scene and was also hospitalized in serious but stable condition.
Surveillance video showed the moment the car careened onto the sidewalk before hitting the mother and son from behind, WNBC reported.
Authorities didn’t provide an update on Tolliver’s son, but multiple news outlets report that he remained in the ICU at Columbia Presbyterian Children’s Hospital as of April 5.
No arrests have been made so far, but police said they’re still investigating.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Mom dies days after she’s hit by runaway car while walking with her son, NY police say."