Man Fatally Struck On FDR Drive Fleeing Accident, Police Say

EAST HARLEM, NY — A New Jersey man has hit and killed while running across the FDR Drive after getting into a car accident on the highway, police said.

Heward Velez, 50, was hit by a Cadillac SUV in a southbound lane of the FDR Drive near East 100th Street around 5 a.m. on Saturday, police said. Emergency responders discovered Velez unconscious and unresponsive on the roadway and rushed him to Metropolitan Hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The Moonachie, New Jersey, resident had been driving north on the FDR when he sideswiped a Jeep, police said. After Velez and the Jeep driver pulled over and had a conversation, Velez suddenly started running across the highway, police said.

The father of two was visiting New York City after spending the night with his two children, his wife Yvonne Cubero told the Daily News.

"I’m in shock, I’m just in shock," Cubero told the newspaper. "He was a good guy. Now we have to bury their father."

Investigators believe Velez may have ran across the highway in an effort to avoid a DWI charge, the Daily News reported.

The driver of the Cadillac SUV that hit Velez stayed on the scene of the collision and was not charged with a crime, police said.

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