Teen accused of killing groom-to-be in wrong-way crash in NYC, police say

NEW YORK (PIX11) — A 17-year-old was arrested and faces multiple charges in connection with the death of a groom-to-be a day before his wedding, police say.

The teen was taken into custody just before midnight on Friday and was charged with second degree vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

Kirk Walker, 38, and his cousin Rob McLaurin, 40, were killed when a wrong way driver ran into them on the Henry Hudson Parkway on Aug. 24, officials previously reported. The incident happening just a day before Walker’s wedding in New Jersey, his family says.

The 17-year-old was allegedly driving a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, with a 21-year-old passenger, just before 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 24. He slammed head on into Walker’s Dodge Challenger near West 165th Street, according to authorities.

The pickup truck burst into flames while the 17-year-old ran from the scene, police say. Sources tell PIX11 News the teen also hit the personal vehicle of an off-duty NYPD officer before the deadly crash.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams previously pledged $1,000 of his own money, towards helping to find and arrest the wrong way driver.

Police are still continuing to investigate the accident to see if any additional parties would be charged in connection with the crash.

Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.