BRONX, New York City- Paulina Nrecaj, a 59-year-old Bronx woman was hit by a gray Lexus SUV in front of her building at around 6:30 PM on Friday, September 9, 2024, as she got impaled on a metal fence. Read on to know what happened and how did Paulina Nrecaj die.
Paulina Nrecaj was a stay-at-home mother of three and grandmother of one. She was reportedly going out to get pizza before the SUV sent her flying into the fence and killed her.
Paulina Nrecaj hit by the Gray Lexus SUV which sends her flying into the fence
Paulina Nrecaj was critically injured as the Lexus SUV struck her from the front and send her flying into the fence and a spike goes through her. The freak accident left the neighbors shocked as people gathered around her.
The tragic accident took place in front of her building at 2040 Bronxdale Avenue, near Cruger Avenue in the evening on Friday. The EMS personnel took Nrecaj to Jacobi Hospital where she underwent multiple surgeries.
However, she was declared dead a few hours later. The SUV driver was also transported to the same hospital and his condition is stable. The police have reported the collision as an accident and no crime is seemingly suspected.
Paulina Nrecaj’s family is “Heartbroken” and blames the Bike Lane
Paulina’s daughter Diana Nrecaj, 32, spoke to The New York Post about her mother’s untimely and tragic demise. “She was a good, sweet woman. She was a very good, sweet woman. She didn’t deserve this. She was four steps away from her home,” she said.
She revealed that her father heard the thump while he was upstairs in their residence and immediately ran out to find her mother surrounded by a crowd. “He came downstairs and there was a gentleman in the building holding my mother until EMS came and arrived.”
Diana went on to blame a recently installed bike lane outside the building for the unfortunate accident that left Paulina Nrecaj dead. The lane is shielded by a line of parked cars and apparently confuses drivers.
“Do you see it? It looks like they are double parked, do they not? It throws people off. There’s never been an accident here. He probably jumped the curb,” Diana said.
Paulina’s husband, Frane Nrecaj, 71, claimed that he realized right away that his wife of 40 years wouldn’t survive the freak accident.
“She was passed out. She lost a lot of blood coming from her mouth, a lot of blood coming from her nose,” he said. “To me, she was a great person. She raised my kids. She was perfect. The kids were happy in their life. She was happy.”
Frane also revealed that his Albanian-born wife had just recently celebrated her 59th birthday. The family is devastated over the loss.
Bronx woman Paulina Nrecaj Accident: How did it happen?
According to several sources, the SUV driver mounted the curb after swerving to miss a van that was stopped at the intersection of Bronxdale and Cruger avenues in the evening. However, the driver is blaming it on failed brakes as he was trying to avoid hitting someone on a scooter.
The SUV kept moving and crashed into the building behind the woman as she got impaled to the fence. “It jumped the curb — it was across the sidewalk,” said a neighbor, Francisco Dayron, 36, who witnessed the freak accident live.
However, his account differs from that of police who said the SUV driver was trying to save someone on a scooter. “Basically the way the road is, you have to turn at a certain angle. He did not want to hit him [the scooter],” Dayron said of the motorist.
The police are investigating the accident as the forces stayed at the scene till Saturday. No charges have been made yet.
Grieving neighbors gathered near the crash scene on Saturday and left flowers, candles, and balloons to remember Paulina Nrecaj. She lost her life in a very tragic manner. May God let her rest in peace.
