Mayor Eric Adams has pledged $1,000 of his own money to help capture the wrong-way driver responsible for the tragic death of a groom-to-be just one day before his wedding last weekend.
Adams announced the reward during a press briefing at City Hall, offering the incentive for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the hit-and-run motorist who collided with a Dodge Challenger carrying Kirk Walker, a 38-year-old father of three who was supposed to get married the following day.
“Any accident is a terrible accident but some of them turn into Shakespearean tragedies,” Adams expressed to reporters.
The mayor expressed confidence that New Yorkers will assist in locating the reckless driver, who fled the scene on foot after the crash, and encouraged the public to provide any tips they may have.
“I’m just going to put $1,000 of my own personal money to call for the arrest and conviction of this person,” he stated.
Walker and his cousin, Robert McLaurin, 40, were tragically killed in the collision that occurred on the Henry Hudson Parkway as they were on their way to a bachelor party. The Chevy Silverado driver was traveling in the wrong direction when the accident happened around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday.
“I’m supposed to be in my wedding dress right now — not in mourning,” expressed Walker’s devastated fiancée, Shauntea Weaver, 40.
Weaver described the crash as “devastating, and not just for me,” emphasizing the impact on Walker’s three children who are heartbroken over the loss of their father.
Walker’s mother was also deeply affected by the tragedy, as Adams mentioned after speaking with her.
“Just a horrific, horrific incident, crash and the family is devastated,” Mayor Adams stated. “The mom wasn’t able to hold it together. I spoke to the sister as well.”
The family is planning a memorial ceremony at the crash site, with Mayor Adams promising to assist in coordinating the event.
“Number one, I want to bring closure, to apprehend the [driver],” he said. “And number two, to allow them to have some sort of closure at the site.”
The driver and his passenger fled the scene before their truck caught fire, with the passenger being located by police and taken to the hospital. The driver has not been charged with a crime.
The driver also collided with a 2018 Audi S3 on the parkway, resulting in injuries to the two occupants of the vehicle, who were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities.
