By Regina Clarkin

With illegal fireworks providing the soundtrack and the flashing red and blue lights of police, fire and ambulance vehicles illuminating the scene, Peekskill police responded to a pedestrian hit and run incident Sunday, July 4, shortly before 9 pm at the corner of Hudson and Wells across from Torpy Field.   

Two days later, police are looking for information about the driver of a dark 4-door sedan that fled the scene, leaving a 33-year-old woman with ‘non-critical’ injuries that sent her to the hospital, said Peekskill Police Lt. Jack Galusha. 

“This is an active and ongoing investigation,” said Galusha and requested the public’s help in identifying the vehicle. “If people have security cameras on their homes and can go back and search for approximately 8:52 pm on the cameras,” if they recorded any vehicles in the area at that time, they are asked to call the police department at (914) 737-8000.  

According to the accident report filed by the four officers who responded to the scene, the car was traveling east on Hudson Avenue and ran the stop sign before turning left onto Wells Street hitting a female Peekskill resident who was crossing the street. The woman was conscious and alert and was able to recount the incident to the police. 

It is typical for a fire truck, along with the police officers, to respond to an accident involving a motor vehicle, said Galusha. Peekskill Community Volunteer Ambulance Corp transported the pedestrian via Ambulance 75B3 to NY Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital Center, said PCVAC Chief Andrew Grant. 

“We are dismayed and frustrated to hear that another person has been injured while simply walking through the neighborhood, and are outraged that the driver left the scene without helping the person they had hit. Our thoughts are with the victim as they recover from the physical and emotional trauma and we urge neighbors with information to help police locate the driver,” said Conor Greene of Peekskill Walks. 

“We’re waiting for more details about this incident, but we know there is a problem with constant speeding, running of stop signs, and reckless driving around Depew Park and in many areas of Peekskill. There are also too many incidents occurring at intersections that feature all-way stop signs, an indication of how casual and common dangerous driving has become in our city,” said the Peekskill Walks statement.

“We are renewing our calls for City Hall to take proactive steps to improve safety along Hudson and other key areas and to review safety at all locations where people have been injured. There is more the city can do through better design, enforcement and public awareness to help prevent injuries from continually happening on streets and in neighborhoods and we need to make this a priority as a city,” added Greene.