UES Hit-And-Run Victim Was More Than The Sum Of His Struggles, Family Says

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Thirty-six-year-old James Mossetty died Saturday after a cab struck and dragged him for 10 blocks onto the Queensboro Bridge. His violent death brought an end to a complicated life and left his family remembering a loved one lost too soon.

Mossetty has been the subject of news reports before as he escaped police custody last year, leading to a city-wide manhunt. But in the wake of his passing, Mossetty's family maintains he was much more than his past struggles.

"We reject any attempt to define him by his past. He was more than his record," Jessica Hernandez, Mossetty's sister, told Patch. "He was a son, a brother, a father, and a human being who deserved dignity, compassion, and safety."

Hernandez said that Mossetty was on York Avenue and 72nd Street Saturday morning because he went to a local hospital for mental health care and was discharged at around 3 a.m. Mossetty was homeless at the time, Hernandez said.

It was not the first time he'd struggled with mental health issues, Hernandez said.

"He once spent seven months in Rikers Island for nothing more than fare evasion — a punishment that did not heal or help him, but instead deepened his struggles," Hernandez told Patch.

According to previous reports, in June 2024, Mossetty escaped from police custody while being treated at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. He was in police custody for misdemeanor charges, including assault, theft of services and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was caught nearly three weeks later, Patch reported.

The theft of services charge was for refusing to pay an $84.50 yellow cab fare in Manhattan in August 2023, according to the New York Daily News.

"James struggled with mental illness and homelessness. He once spent seven months in Rikers Island for nothing more than fare evasion — a punishment that did not heal or help him, but instead deepened his struggles," Hernandez said of her brother.

After the fatal crash on Saturday that took Mossetty's life, the driver did not remain on the scene, but was later identified and arrested, police said.

Police arrested a 71-year-old Queens man named Abdul Hakim at 8 p.m. Saturday and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death. Hakim was driving a Toyota RAV4 SUV cab, police said.

Hakim is being held on $100,000 bail and has a court date on Sept. 5.

"His death is the result of systemic failures at every level," Hernandez said. "James Mossetty's life mattered. His story should not end in tragedy — it should drive reform."

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.