Mom killed, daughter critically injured in Brooklyn hit-and-run

Authorities are on the lookout for the driver responsible for a tragic hit-and-run incident in Brooklyn just before Mother's Day, - ABC7 News writes.

The accident unfolded at the intersection of Eldert Street and Knickerbocker Avenue around 5 p.m. on Thursday.

According to reports, two women, aged 71 and 44, were struck down in the incident. Shockingly, they were a mother and daughter traversing the intersection together. Surveillance footage captured a blue Mazda, bearing Massachusetts plates, careening through the intersection with a police vehicle in pursuit. Allegedly, the officers were attempting to halt the Mazda for a traffic violation.

In a harrowing turn of events, the driver, in a bid to evade capture, lost control of the Mazda and collided with the pedestrians. Tragically, the 71-year-old victim, identified as Juanita Vidal, succumbed to her injuries at Wycoff Hospital. Her daughter, aged 44, remains in critical condition at Elmhurst Hospital.

"The older woman got CPR as soon as they could," eyewitness Rodrigo Gonzalez said. "They calmed the middle-aged woman down. But she... they were both very hurt."  

 

Gonzalez says he had just walked into a nearby apartment after parking his van when he heard the crash. The sound was the blue Mazda crashing into Gonzalez's parked van, but the damage was nothing compared to the horrific injuries the two women suffered.

Witnesses recall the close bond shared by the mother and daughter, describing them as compassionate individuals who often spent time together. The community is deeply saddened by the incident transpiring in their midst.

Efforts to locate the suspect have been extensive, with police dogs scouring the vicinity and the Halsey Street L train station, where the perpetrator purportedly fled. Despite these efforts, the individual remains at large. Descriptions provided identify the suspect as a young man with a ponytail, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans.

The Mazda involved was a rental vehicle, prompting authorities to trace its rental history in hopes of apprehending the culprit. As of now, no arrests have been made, and the search for the suspect continues.