The transit cop called 911 after the early Saturday hit-and-run in Lower Manhattan and chased after the driver’s pickup truck along the West Side Highway until he lost sight of it, sources said.
Kirk Walker, left, and Shauntea Weaver are seen in an undated photo provided to the Post Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. Obtained by the NY Post The truck smashed into a Dodge Challenger head-on, killing Walker, 38, and his cousin Rob McLaurin, who were celebrating Walker’s bachelor party. G.N.Miller/NY Post
The pickup truck’s driver took off after the crash, while police took a 22-year-old passenger into custody. G.N.Miller/NY Post
State Attorney General Letitia James’ office is looking into the off-duty cop’s actions to see if they led to the horrific, head-on wreck moments afterward in which the truck smashed into a Dodge Challenger, killing Walker, 38, and his cousin Rob McLaurin, 40, who were celebrating Walker’s bachelor party, police and officials said.
The pickup truck’s driver ran off after the crash and remained on the loose Thursday. His passenger, a 22-year-old man, was taken into custody about 30 from the wreck, police said.
The cop followed the truck, not at high rate of speed, as the wayward vehicle drove the wrong way up the West Side Highway, according to sources.
His tailing of the truck will be subject to a “preliminary assessment” by James’ office, which has jurisdiction whenever there’s a question whether any cop caused a death.
The assessment will only lead to an open investigation if officials find reason to believe the cop was involved in the fatal crash.
The head-on crash took place about 2:20 a.m. on the northbound Henry Hudson near West 154th Street, police said.
The Dodge driven by McLaurin, with Walker in the passenger seat, had its front end completely crumpled by the impact, according to police and photos from the scene. They both were pronounced dead at local hospitals.
The impact sparked a fire that consumed the wrong-way driver’s pickup truck.
For the latest metro stories, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/metro/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0