Driver Charged Years After Killing Nanny In Park Slope: NYPD

PARK SLOPE, NY — A 70-year-old driver accused of fatally striking a pedestrian pushing a stroller across the street in Park Slope was charged Wednesday, two years after the crash that shook Brooklyn, police said.

Mamadou Bathily, 70, of Harlem, pleaded not guilty to charges including failure to yield to a pedestrian related to the Dec. 20, 2021 crash, police said Thursday.

Court records show Bathily was arrested on the day of the crash, and police confirmed Bathily remained on the scene, but the NYPD said he was officially charged this week.

Bathily was driving southbound on 5th Avenue in a Dodge Ram pickup truck about 10:40 a.m. when he attempted to turn left onto Union Street, slamming into Arcelli "Celi" Muschamp, 52, who was pushing a baby in a stroller, according to the NYPD.

Muschamp was rushed to an area hospital in critical condition, where she remained for nearly two weeks, according to a GoFundMe page that raised over $91,000. The child was uninjured, police said.

Muschamp died on New Year's Eve, and she is remembered by loved ones as a hero.

"Celi is truly our hero," said the family of the toddler. "Our son ... was amazingly unscathed in the incident and based on eyewitness accounts Celi helped save him from almost-certain serious injury or death by pushing his stroller out of harm's way as the vehicle approached."

Loved ones said Muschamp was a hard-working mother trying to send her 22- and 12-year-old children to school.

"Celie was always happy and joyful as her children were her whole world! She just had a way of giving that everyone admired," said the toddler's family.