Community Holds Vigil For Woman Killed In Harlem Hit-And-Run

HARLEM, NY — Community members, safe street advocates and local officials held a candlelight vigil Monday nightto offer support to the family of a woman killed in a Harlem hit-and-run and call for a safer Amsterdam Avenue.

Erica Imbasciani, 26, was killed Friday after stepping into the curb of Amsterdam Avenue and West 141st Street when an impaired SUV driver struck her and pinned her into a parked car, police said. The Staten Island native recently moved to Harlem.

Local City Councilman Mark Levine thanked Harlem community members for showing support to Imbasciani's family and standing with them "in a time of unfathomable pain," despite Imbasciani's short time living in the neighborhood. Levine said that five people have been killed on a dangerous stretch of Amsterdam Avenue during his five years in office and said the city " can and has to make this street safer."

Gabriella Velardi-Ward, a family friend of Imbasciani and a Roman Catholic Womenpriest, delivered an invocation at the vigil and capped her prayer by saying: "Erica we care for you, we miss you and we love you."

Imbasciani was an aspiring artist with a degree in art history from Bard College who had "a carefree spirit with a big loving heart and a passion for humanity and social justice," an obituary reads. The 26-year-old's love for travel and art led her to visit places such as France, Italy, Sweden and Germany where she "sought out museums, historical pieces and architecture."

Jeanette Williams, of the organization Families for Safe Streets, offered the group's support to Imbasciani's family and reflected on the pain of losing her own son to a hit-and-run driver last year in the Bronx.

"I know it's a struggle," Williams said. "Even though it's been a year for me, it's a struggle every day."

Safe streets advocates spoke during Monday night's vigil to demand the city implement a redesign of Amsterdam Avenue between West 110th and 155th streets. The city DOT has been pushing a plan to add painted bike lanes and traffic-calming measures on the street since 2017, but the local community board has refused to vote.

Making the avenue narrower and adding turning bays will discourage speeding and create simpler and safer left turns for cars, according to the DOT. Imbasciani was killed by an impaired driver, but street redesigns can also help curb bad driving, advocates said Monday.

Community Board 9 members have said they are concerned that the street redesign's removal of traffic lanes will cause congestion and idling on the road and called on the city to conduct a health impact statement for the plan.

The driver who killed Imbasciani was arrested Friday night after colliding into another SUV at a traffic light in the intersection of Hamilton Place and West 138 Street, police said. Tyrik Cooper, 27, is facing charges of vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, vehicular assault, operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, and operating a vehicle with no license, police said.