Man panhandling in NYC fatally hit by a driver

On Sunday, a motorist hit and killed a man who was begging for money in the middle of a major roadway in Brooklyn, according to the police and witnesses.

According to the police, Walter Gonzalez, 56, was struck by a vehicle at around 6:30 p.m. when he was standing in the painted median close to the junction of Eastern Parkway and Schenectady Ave. in Crown Heights.

According to witnesses, Gonzalez’s typical panhandling location was the junction, which is only a few streets away from his house.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

After some time had passed, Mrs. Gonzalez arrived at the junction, where she began sobbing as a friend attempted to soothe her.

According to the police, the motorist who hit the victim stayed at the scene after the collision and did not face charges right away.

On this specific crossing, this is not the first occasion that a pedestrian who was standing in the median was struck and killed by a vehicle.

Ronald Smith, age 53, had been collecting change at the intersection when he was hit and murdered by an NYPD vehicle earlier this year.

On April 7, Smith was walking along the center of the road when he was struck by a car and dragged for about 35 feet. He was also standing in the median.

The officers gave it their best shot, but they were unable to bring him back to life.

During the time that the investigation into the collision was being conducted by the Attorney General of the state, the officer who was driving the van was put on modified duty and was not allowed to carry a shield or weapons.