Jiayi Zheng, 28, Dies: NYU Langone Nurse Killed in Brooklyn Hit-and-Run After Night Shift

A Brooklyn hospital community is mourning the death of Jiayi Zheng, a 28-year-old nurse who was killed in a hit-and-run shortly after completing an overnight shift at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.

Zheng was walking home Saturday morning, August 29, 2026, when she was struck near Third Avenue and 55th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Emergency responders transported her back to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, the same hospital where she had just finished working. Despite efforts to save her, Zheng was pronounced dead.

The driver responsible for the collision fled the scene. Police have not announced an arrest, and the investigation remains ongoing.

What Happened to Jiayi Zheng?

Jiayi Zheng had completed an overnight shift at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn and was making the short journey home when the fatal collision occurred.

The crash happened shortly before 7:40 a.m. near Third Avenue and 55th Street in the Sunset Park neighborhood.

Police said Zheng was crossing the street when a Cadillac traveling southbound on Third Avenue struck her.

The impact caused severe injuries.

Instead of remaining at the scene, the driver continued southbound and fled.

Paramedics responded and transported Zheng to nearby NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.

It was a particularly painful turn of events for her colleagues. Only a short time earlier, Zheng had been working inside the hospital caring for patients. She was now returning to the same facility as a critically injured patient herself.

She later died from her injuries.

Who Was Jiayi Zheng?

Jiayi Zheng was a 28-year-old registered nurse who worked at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.

She lived in Brooklyn and worked overnight shifts at the hospital.

Colleagues have remembered Zheng as a caring and positive nurse who was willing to help others even during difficult shifts.

She worked as a float nurse, meaning she could assist different units within the hospital depending on staffing needs.

Her role placed her alongside different groups of nurses and patients, allowing her to become known by colleagues throughout the hospital.

Those who worked alongside Zheng described a young healthcare professional who maintained a positive attitude and regularly supported her coworkers.

Jiayi Zheng Was Walking Home After Her Overnight Shift

One of the details that has resonated most strongly following Zheng’s death is how close she was to both her workplace and home.

She had reportedly just completed her overnight shift before leaving NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn on Saturday morning.

Zheng lived only several blocks from the crash scene.

She never made it home.

Instead, the same hospital she had just left became the place where doctors and nurses attempted to save her life.

News of her death subsequently spread throughout the hospital community.

Driver Sought After Fatal Brooklyn Hit-and-Run

Police identified the vehicle involved in the collision as a 2014 Cadillac sedan.

Investigators said the vehicle was traveling southbound on Third Avenue when it struck Zheng.

The driver did not remain at the scene.

Surveillance footage from the area has become part of the investigation as authorities work to determine the identity of the person behind the wheel.

As of the latest available update, no arrest had been announced.

The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate the crash.

NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn Mourns Jiayi Zheng

Zheng’s death has deeply affected the hospital where she worked.

NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn acknowledged her passing and extended condolences to her family, friends and colleagues.

The hospital remembered the essential role its nurses play in caring for patients and described Zheng’s death as a loss being felt throughout its community.

Her fellow nurses have also spoken about the personality she brought to work.

Coworkers remembered Zheng as someone who smiled frequently and was ready to help others regardless of how demanding a shift became.

For healthcare workers accustomed to helping families through difficult moments, suddenly losing one of their own has created a very different kind of grief.

Fellow Nurses Remember Jiayi Zheng

Zheng’s colleagues have shared memories of a nurse known for her positive attitude.

Because she worked as a float nurse, she regularly moved between hospital units where additional staffing was needed.

That meant Zheng worked alongside numerous colleagues rather than remaining exclusively within one department.

Those interactions allowed many members of the hospital community to know her personally.

Coworkers described her as helpful, cheerful and someone whose presence could make challenging shifts easier.

Her sudden death at only 28 has left colleagues struggling to understand how an ordinary journey home from work ended in tragedy.

Crash Renews Concerns About Third Avenue Safety

Zheng’s death has also renewed concerns surrounding pedestrian and cyclist safety along Third Avenue beneath the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Transportation safety advocates have described the corridor as particularly dangerous.

According to transportation advocates, multiple pedestrians and cyclists have been killed along the approximately two-mile stretch of Third Avenue since 2014.

Zheng was also not the first NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn nurse killed near the area after finishing work.

In 2020, another nurse from the hospital was fatally struck while cycling home following an overnight shift near Third Avenue and 56th Street, approximately one block from where Zheng was struck.

The similarities between the incidents have intensified calls for safety improvements along the corridor.

Calls Grow for Changes Along Brooklyn’s Third Avenue

Following Zheng’s death, transportation advocates and local officials renewed demands for improvements designed to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

Previous plans had proposed redesigning portions of Third Avenue to improve safety.

Zheng’s death has brought new attention to those proposals.

Community members have raised concerns about speeding vehicles and the challenges pedestrians face when crossing the wide roadway.

Officials have indicated that efforts to improve safety along Third Avenue are being considered as concerns surrounding the corridor continue.

For Zheng’s colleagues and loved ones, however, those discussions come after an irreversible loss.

Police Continue Search for Driver

The investigation into the fatal hit-and-run remains active.

Police are working to identify and locate the driver responsible for striking Zheng and leaving the scene.

Authorities have reviewed surveillance footage and information concerning the Cadillac involved in the collision.

Anyone with information that could assist investigators has been encouraged to contact law enforcement.

Until the driver is located, questions remain about the circumstances leading up to the crash and why the person behind the wheel failed to stop.

Jiayi Zheng Funeral Arrangements

Funeral or memorial arrangements for Jiayi Zheng had not been widely announced at the time of publication.

Her family has been given privacy as they deal with the sudden loss.

Additional information concerning funeral services may become available through her family or appropriate representatives.

Meanwhile, tributes from the medical community continue to focus on Zheng’s work as a nurse and the impact she had on colleagues.

Remembering Jiayi Zheng

Jiayi Zheng spent her professional life caring for other people.

On Saturday morning, she finished another overnight shift at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn and began what should have been an ordinary walk home.

She was only blocks away.

Instead, a hit-and-run collision ended the life of the 28-year-old nurse and sent her back to the hospital where she had just spent the night helping patients.

Her death has left family members, friends and coworkers mourning while also renewing difficult questions about road safety in Sunset Park.

For the people who worked alongside her, however, Zheng will be remembered for more than the circumstances surrounding her death.

She will be remembered as a young nurse who showed up for patients, helped colleagues when they needed support and brought positivity into demanding hospital shifts.

Disclaimer

This article is based on information available from law enforcement, hospital representatives and credible news reports at the time of publication. Details surrounding the hit-and-run investigation, the identity of the driver and funeral arrangements may change as authorities or Jiayi Zheng’s family release additional information. This article is intended for general informational and memorial purposes and should not be treated as an official police report, legal finding or statement from the family.