Valerie Schoeck, 27, was fatally struck by a wrong-way driver in Greenwich Village the morning of Nov. 6. According to reports in the New York Post and CBS New York, the deadly pedestrian accident occurred at the intersection of Morton Street and Seventh Avenue. Police said the driver turned the wrong way out of a parking garage and began driving the wrong way on Morton to turn into Seventh Avenue.
Schoeck, who was in a crosswalk near the garage’s exit was struck. She was transported to Bellevue Hospital, but succumbed to her injuries, police said. Officials also said that the 61-year-old driver remained on the scene. No charges have been filed pending an official investigation. We offer our deepest condolences to the family members of Valerie Schoeck for their tragic loss.
Yielding to Pedestrians
Exiting a parking garage in New York City requires extra caution, especially when pedestrians are present in crosswalks. Many garages have steep ramps and limited visibility, creating blind spots that can make these situations tricky. New York City traffic law clearly states that drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks, even when emerging from a private driveway or parking facility. Failure to do so can result in fines, points on a license and most importantly, potential injury to pedestrians.
Drivers should always stop before the sidewalk when exiting a garage, look carefully in both directions, and proceed slowly. Many garages place mirrors, warning signs or flashing lights to alert both drivers and pedestrians. In a city as crowded and fast-paced as New York, patience and awareness are essential. Taking a few extra seconds to ensure the crosswalk is clear can prevent accidents, protect lives and maintain the flow of traffic safely for everyone on the street.
Pedestrians struck in failure-to-yield accidents often suffer severe and life-changing injuries due to the lack of protection compared to vehicle occupants. Common injuries include fractures, head trauma, spinal cord damage, internal bleeding and soft tissue injuries. Even at low speeds, the impact of a vehicle can throw a pedestrian onto the pavement or into other objects, causing secondary injuries such as concussions or lacerations.
Elderly pedestrians and children are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies are less able to absorb impact. Beyond physical harm, victims often experience emotional distress, anxiety and long recovery periods that can disrupt their daily lives and employment. In many cases, these accidents occur when drivers fail to observe crosswalks, make hurried turns or ignore traffic signals, etc.
Contacting an Experienced Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent (careless) driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you. It is in the best interest of injured victims and their families in such cases to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer before contacting the people responsible for the injuries, and definitely before contacting or communicating with any insurance company, or their lawyers, investigators, or adjusters.
Pedestrian accident victims and their families should remember that they can seek compensation for injuries or losses in collisions even if the victim was not walking in a marked crosswalk and even if the driver involved in collision was not charged. Our law firm recovered the full one-million-dollar insurance policy for a girl who was not in the crosswalk when a motor vehicle hit her.
For over 54 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. We also recovered $1,500,000 for a lady who was hurt by a bus.
We also obtained $295,000 out of a $300,000 insurance policy in compensation for the victim of a bicycle dooring accident (where a car door opens into the path of a bicyclist). One of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases. Also, we got a $1,400,000 verdict in a motorcycle accident.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury, lead poisoning and medical malpractice cases including, brachial plexus palsy (Erb’s palsy) and cerebral palsy cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/wrong-way-driver-deadly-crash-greenwich-village-nyc/
https://nypost.com/2025/11/07/us-news/woman-27-fatally-struck-by-wrong-way-nyc-driver-idd-as-transplant-from-massachusetts-planning-wedding/