UPDATE: Thursday, May 7 at 8:30 a.m.: Robert Koch, 26, has been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter following a deadly wrong way crash on the West Side Highway on May 3, police announced on Thursday.
Ada Rivero, 65, who was a resident of West 57th Street, was killed in the collision, police said.
Koch was driving northbound in the southbound lane of the West Side Highway around 3:40 a.m. on May 3, when he collided with a car traveling in the correct direction, in which Rivero was a passenger in the back seat, NYPD said.
“Ada Rivero was my BFF and I am completely devastated and enraged as is her grieving family,” Lillian, who identified herself as Rivero’s best friend in the comment section of West Side Rag’s article, wrote. “She was an AMAZING WOMAN full of life, fun and a hard-working business woman.”
By Gus Saltonstall
A woman was killed in a car crash over the weekend that involved a vehicle traveling in the wrong direction on an Upper West Side stretch of the West Side Highway, a police spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag.
Around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, a 26-year-old man was driving a Subaru northbound in the southbound lane of the West Side Highway when he collided with a Toyota Highlander traveling in the correct direction, police said.
The 49-year-old driver of the Toyota Highlander escaped with minor injuries, but Ada Rivero, 65, who was sitting in the backseat of the car, was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
NYPD did not say whether the 26-year-old driver of the Subaru sustained any injuries but did confirm that a person was taken into custody following the crash.
We will update this story, if we learn more.
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How impaired does one have to be to drive on the wrong side of the highway? People like this are murderers and should never, ever be allowed to drive again.
License revocation should be mandatory punishment for anyone who kills someone while driving.
Might be someone who cant read English or whi was unlicensed. Not necessarily impaired
This one right here wins the prize for trying to blame anything on immigration lol . No even half way through the year, but its unlikely to be topped. Well done Bill.
Bill is right Mr. Piper
“cant read English or whi was unlicensed” – driver’s name is Robert Koch. Will that silence your racism?
Can you provide a link that proves he is right?
Robert Koch does not exactly sound like a Spanish, Middle Eastern or Asian name. However, road signs are not the same in every country. It will all come out later anyway.
My condolences to the victims of this heinous crime. this is not OK. The wrong-way driver should be tried for manslaughter and given a max sentence.
WSR – thank you for covering and please let us know what happens.
Ada Rivero was my BFF and I am completely devastated and enraged as is her grieving family. She was an AMAZING WOMAN full of life, fun and a hard-working business woman. I know her family would appreciate and thank you for your words of comfort.
I’m so sorry for your loss. What a tragic thing to happen to your good friend. Condolences to her family and to you!
It’s unfathomable and her loved ones have every right to be outraged. May her memory be a blessing.
Oh my gosh, I‘m so so sorry for your loss <33 i can’t imagine losing my best friend. My thoughts are with all of you
This happened on the UWS and she was rushed to Bellevue? That seems odd
right. The rule for ENT is the closest
hospital unless they were expired already
Then things change
I’m surprised as well because Mount Sinai Morningside is a trauma center…very sad for this family’s loss.
A patient with critical injuries like this gets brought to a “Trauma Center” hospital, rather than just the closest. Roosevelt at 58th St is good but not at this level.
WSH southbound meant exiting at 57th or so, and the choices would be either Bellevue or (what used to be called) St. Lukes.
At 4 am it’s a bit easier to continue down to 34th and go crosstown.
Daytime, with messy traffic, maybe Lukes would have been the choice.
Thanks dannyb for the insight.
I wasnt even thinking St Lukes/Mount Sinai. I was thinking NYP/Columbia straight up the highway or NYP/Cornell but I can see your point crossing on 34th
I’m trying to think how you even could get on the WSH in the wrong direction. He was probably driving like that since at least 50th St.
Drunk, or drugged.
There is a southbound exit at 79th St. The wrong-way driver likely got on the highway there.
There is also a northbound exit at 79th street. I cannot concoct a plausible scenario for entering the SWH in the wrong direction.
Ada Rivero, an AMAZING WOMAN was my BFF. We spent a lovely night of live jazz on Friday night 5/1. I am so completely devastated and enraged. Sleep in Peace my FOREVER FRIEND!
I’m so sorry, Lillian
So sorry for your loss.
it’s so easy to make a mistake at that very late
night hour sleepiness, drugs alcohol,, unfamiliar with this road at age 26. And, yes.
unable to read english road signs.
Horiffic accident
Murder. Murder. Murder. I agree with the earlier comment. This should be prosecuted as MURDER.
not likely to happen – murder requires a showing of intent, which might be difficult to prove in a case like this. Most likely the charge will be manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide (again, if the relevant criteria are satisfied).
To be charitable, I suppose it is possible that, given the construction at the 79th Street entrance, an unfamiliar driver at night without traffic could head straight and circle the boat basin onto the wrong side of the highway. It is a very poorly marked area and you can only go northbound there. Let’s await the results of the investigation.
It all sounds horrible. It could be that the driver had no idea where they were going when they went northbound and by the time they realized their mistake it was too late. My guess is they’ll be tested for alcohol and drugs .
it’s also interesting that the driver of the Highlander sustained minor injuries, but Ms. Rivera , who was sitting in the back, was killed. Perhaps she did not put her seatbelt on, while the driver did?
Backseats don’t necessarily have airbags but even a hint of victim blaming is always unnecessary
It’s not victim blaming, it’s an observation and perhaps a reminder that even if backseats might not have airbags, they certainly have seatbelts, which are the number 1 factor in saving lives in the event of a car crash. And thank you Deb, for your compelling reply.
While we don’t know yet if Ms. Rivera was wearing a seat belt, it’s not blaming the victim to take this opportunity to remind EVERYONE and especially Uber/taxi/rideshare passengers to always buckle up. We often take it for granted that we’re safe in the back seat but NY law requires belts on all car passengers and there’s a reason for that!
Peace be with the family! One of the most funniest people I ever met!