Yesterday, April 2, 2026, around 6:40 in the morning, a woman died after being struck by an ambulance in Brooklyn.
According to police, the woman was hit while attempting to cross the street at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Avenue O in Midwood. Video recordings obtained from a nearby gas station show the ambulance turning in the intersection before hitting the women and continuing to drive.
The incident was seen by a bus driver on the street who attempted to chase after the ambulance, with another witness describing, “The bus driver, he told me he see the guy, he hit the lady, then he ran [her] over and he just keep going… and the bus driver, he came out from the bus and he chased him. He was running, literally. He was running behind him”. Unfortunately, the bus driver was unable to catch up and stop the ambulance.
911 was called by other witnesses who described how the woman appeared unresponsive after being hit. The victim, later identified as 44-year-old Cherry Cayetano Sobel, was rushed to the nearby Maimonides Hospital. First responders said Sobel has suffered severe trauma across her body. She was pronounced dead when she arrived at the hospital.
The section of the road where the incident occurred was in the process of being repaved, so a clear crosswalk was not visible. It is unclear whether the ambulance driver was even aware that they had hit Sobel.
Using video evidence and eyewitness testimony, police were able to identify the vehicle that struck Sobel as a private ambulance operating out of Maimonides Hospital.
A statement made by a representative from Maimonides announced that the ambulance crew involved in the incident had been suspended, saying, “The Maimonides family is devastated by this tragic loss. Our EMT staff who were involved in the incident have been suspended pending the outcome of the NYPD’s investigation”.
The statement also addressed Sobel’s family, saying, “Our heart goes out to the victim’s family and friends”.
Following Sobel’s death, police officers were posted at the intersection where the incident occurred to hand out flyers to warn both drivers and pedestrians of potential danger. The flyers included information such as “1 in 4 pedestrian deaths and injuries involve turning vehicles”.
No arrests have been made yet, and the police are currently investigating the death as a hit-and-run.
