The German vacationer who was fatally struck in a hit-and-run by a minivan driver in Midtown was in New York Metropolis celebrating her marriage ceremony anniversary together with her husband, who was additionally critically injured within the incident, her longtime good friend advised the Each day Information.
Alexandra Sabine Lewalter Maric, 50, and her husband, 55, from Hamburg, Germany, had been celebrating 23 years of marriage with a visit to the Massive Apple. The couple began their go to by taking a cruise out of New York Metropolis on Virgin Voyages. However their dream journey led to tragedy — simply two days after their anniversary — within the grotesque accident proper exterior the forty second St. public library.
“They flew to New York Metropolis and began the cruise there,” mentioned Udo Meixner, 56, a journalist in Germany at Nordbayerischer Kurier and a good friend of the sufferer since they had been each youngsters. “And after the cruise, they needed to remain in New York Metropolis for a few days. They needed to have a good time their marriage ceremony anniversary. They married on Sept. 22, 2002.”
Lewalter Maric and her husband had been within the crosswalk on E. fortieth St. simply west of Fifth Ave. round 2:40 p.m. Wednesday when a blue-gray minivan that was within the intersection reversed, pinning the couple towards a field truck that was stopped on the crimson gentle behind them, police mentioned.
Lewalter Maric was pronounced useless on the scene as surprised witnesses advised The Information that she was almost decapitated on the street.
“We, her mates right here in Germany are nonetheless shocked after all. It’s very arduous to imagine,” Meixner mentioned. “This accident was so dumb and mindless…
Her husband, whose cranium was fractured and was bleeding from his head and shoulder, was seen feebly reaching out to his useless spouse as he lay sprawled on the asphalt, a mixed-nuts vendor who witnessed the bloody scene mentioned.
“She was facedown on the bottom, her head was squished, like, decapitated,” the seller, 28, from Union Metropolis, NJ, mentioned. “The man was bleeding from the pinnacle and shoulder — he was reaching over to her however she was useless.”
“The girl was crossing with the man. There was a automotive within the crosswalk. The sunshine was yellow and [the driver] was caught,” Rosa Paredes, 38, an NYC Ice Cream truck driver who lives in Queens, who additionally witnessed the horrible incident. “The truck got here like he needed to make the sunshine, too. The minivan backed up — it was mucho rapido, they had been sandwiched, crushed. They had been on the bottom. She died immediately. The blood sprayed in every single place. It was horrible.”
The husband was rushed by EMS to Bellevue Hospital, the place he was handled for a cranium fracture and was more likely to survive, police mentioned.
The minivan driver, Mohammed Abouzaid, 40, fled the scene earlier than getting caught in site visitors at W. thirty eighth St. and Eighth Ave., the place he was taken into custody, cops mentioned.
In line with police, the minivan had a Mississippi license plate on its entrance finish and a “Occasions Sq.” memento self-importance plate on its rear.
Abouzaid, who lives within the Fort Hill part of the Bronx, on Thursday was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and two misdemeanor counts of failing to yield to a pedestrian with the suitable of method.
The highest cost carries a possible sentence of as much as seven years in jail and a effective of as much as $5,000. A decide granted a request by Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg’s workplace for $25,000 money bail or $75,000 bond.
Abouzaid is due again in court docket on Sept. 30.
Meixner mentioned Lewalter Maric was a music lover and had loved going to live shows ever since they first met once they had been 16. She grew up Selb, a city in Higher Franconia earlier than later transferring to Wurzburg and Cologne, in keeping with Meixner. She labored at Apple in Hamburg.
“Alex was at all times cheerful and lively — I by no means noticed her have a nasty day,” her good friend mentioned. “Each time I traveled to Hamburg with my household, we met up and, after all, celebrated the great outdated days.”
Lewalter Maric and her husband met in Hamburg, he added.
“She was the nicest individual you’ll be able to think about,” Meixner mentioned.
