Residents of Morningside Heights, where a woman was struck and killed by an SUV in a hit and run incident just before the New Year, say area traffic patterns encourage speeding drivers. The victim, identified as 44-year-old Guler Ugur-Yaacobi, was crossing Amsterdam Avenue at West 113th Street when she was run over by an SUV traveling northbound. Locals partially blame green light waves, which they say creates a racetrack-like atmosphere among drivers.
"These people drive fast, because traffic lights are very-well synchronized," a resident explained to CBS Local. "It's like you're crossing a freeway." A Gothamist commenter echoed that sentiment, recalling that "people shoot down Amsterdam like it's Rainbow Road up there. You can see green lights for over a mile from some vantage points, and when that happens they step on it." Reports indicate that Yaacobi crossed against the light.
Police are still searching for the black SUV that fled the scene after killing Yaacobi, who was reportedly on her way to a concert. The victim is remembered as an accomplished photographer and world traveler who had run the New York City Marathon multiple times.
