Sources say at least one phone call came into the emergency reporting system about a woman at rest on a center median of the Belt Parkway near the Cross Bay Boulevard exit right before she was struck and killed by a motorcycle on Tuesday afternoon sometime shortly afternoon.
Just a few minutes later, eyewitness Victor Velasquez told police that he had observed a female black attempting to cross the Westbound lanes of the parkway on foot.
Sources say that several cars had stopped to accommodate the crossing but that a motorcycle which may have been travelling at a fairly high rate of speed was riding in between the lanes of traffic and then struck the pedestrian, killing her.
The woman has been identified as Ms. Yvonne Blanding, 68-years-old, who was pronounced DOA at Jamaica Hospital. Veronica Volpe was at the head of the traffic that cam to a complete halt as a result of the collision. “I have never seen anything like it,” Volpe said. “She was torn apart. I don’t know why she would try to do this, I just don’t know why.”
Ms. Blanding had reportedly just left Resort World Casino .
She was struck by a 2001 Suzuki motorcycle driven by 41-year-old Edwin Martinz. He too was removed to Jamaica Hospital where he was admitted with minor injuries.
There have been no criminal charges filed as of yet and the investigation is ongoing.
Police at the scene were eerily reminded of an incident at the same location that nearly took the life of their fellow officer Maureen Ceratti, who was struck by a drunk driver while responding to a fatal accident.
By Patricia Adams
