Gathering begins at West 110th and Manhattan Avenue
At 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 17, friends, family, and passersby gathered to celebrate what would have been the 14th birthday of Niyell McRorey. The memorial took place at the corner of West 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue, where she was struck by an SUV on October 24 while crossing the street to catch the M16 bus. McRorey passed away on November 1 after spending a week in intensive care.
Advertisement
Candles were lit, balloons were held in solidarity, and custom shirts and hoodies honoring her memory were worn. Music by Mary J. Blige, Rod Wave, and Fridayy played from a car stereo parked at the corner. With a life-sized cutout of McRorey present, loved ones reflected on her life and felt her presence among them.
Niyell’s cutout
Messages to Niyell written and posted on the corner lamppost
“My mom and her grandmother were friends. We met when we were 7,” said Nivaeh, 14. She reminisced about their sleepovers and trips to the pool with McRorey. “I’ll miss her smile and her jokes.” Nivaeh described the loss of her dear friend as “too early,” adding that McRorey was a bright girl with so much to live for. Nivaeh called on drivers to pay more attention to their surroundings, as children live in these neighborhoods, surrounded by people who love them. “Certain things happen to certain kids, and it’s always to the kids it shouldn’t happen to. It should not happen to any kid.”
Nivaeh wearing Niyell’s sweatshirt
Advertisement
While a police report states that Niyell had been crossing “against the traffic signal,” Streetsblog NYC, a pedestrian-first advocacy group and publication, argues that “The intersection of 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue is wide with few protections for pedestrians.” We’ve included the full statement from the NYPD at the bottom of this article.
Niyell’s father, Darnell McCrow, told ILTUWS the turnout of dozens of loved ones was beautiful. Since the death of his daughter, McCrow has found solace in attending events that bring together families who’ve lost a loved one too soon due to automobile accidents. Earlier in the day, he attended a gathering at the Queens Botanical Garden, saying, “There are so many other families we got to meet. We had similar situations.” McCrow said he gets nervous every time he walks by West 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue now. “It’s a bad intersection. This is why we need traffic lights and speeding cameras, something.” The father stood strong on the corner, calling the events “traumatic for a lot of people.” After saying he was heartbroken over the death of his daughter, McCrow said, “But my heart still works. Today we grieve, but we spread the word and uplift everybody as much as we can.”
Darnell McCrow standing by loved ones and life-sized cutout of Niyell
Tiff FogIe works at Mount Sinai Morningside, the hospital Niyell was rushed to after the accident. Niyell’s cousin, Fogle, said, “When I found out she was rushed there, I wasn’t working, but I immediately made some phone calls to my co-workers, asking them to please help my little cousin.” Fogle said the 14th birthday party for Niyell brought together people she hadn’t seen in about 15 years. “I don’t know what it feels like to lose a child. I know what loss feels like, but losing a child is different.” Fogle also mentioned that the corner of West 110th and Manhattan Avenue has been problematic, and she tries to avoid walking through that area unless she has to.
Advertisement
Towards the end of the birthday party, everyone released their balloons in unison, with some of the youngsters breaking out into a dance, as Niyell loved to dance too.
Letting go of the balloons
ABC Eyewitness News 7 reported in early November that, so far this year, 7,027 people have been struck by vehicles, marking a 3.2% increase from 6,811 in 2023. Over 200 people have died as a result.
In response to our inquiry, ILTUWS received the following statement from the NYPD:
“On Thursday, October 24, 2024, at approximately [1:49 p.m.], police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Cathedral Parkway, within the confines of the 24 Precinct. Upon arrival, officers observed a 13-year-old female, unconscious and unresponsive, lying in the roadway, with trauma about the head and body. EMS responded to the location and transported the female to Mount Sinai Morningside and then transported [her] to Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries on November 1, 2024.
“Further investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that Vehicle #1, a 2024 Toyota Rav-4, operated by a 44-year-old male was traveling south on Manhattan Avenue, entering the intersection of Cathedral Parkway with a green light in his favor, when he struck the pedestrian who was crossing on Manhattan Avenue from east to west, in the vicinity of the south crosswalk, against the traffic signal. The operator of the vehicle did remain on scene. There are no arrests at this time and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.”
I’m glad to see reporting on this tragedy, I’d walked by that intersection shortly after the memorial had appeared and wondered what had happened. Very sad, and way before her time : ( i do agree that it’s a bad intersection, I’ve driven through there and obviously walked through there a ton – it feels problematic from both sides, i believe because of something to do with the turn lanes perhaps although it’s hard to place exactly, but it does feel considerably more dangerous than other intersections and is one of the few that I think twice about crossing against the signal because I too have misjudged traffic there. I hope for peace for everyone!