German tourist killed in Midtown hit-and-run during NYC anniversary trip
Woman, 50, celebrating 23rd wedding anniversary with husband; driver charged with leaving scene; bail set at $25,000
A German tourist was killed in a Midtown Manhattan hit-and-run Wednesday afternoon as she and her husband were in New York City to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary.
Alexandra Sabine Lewalter Maric, 50, of Selb, Germany, was struck around 2:40 p.m. at Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, authorities said. Her husband, Udo Lewalter, 55, was hospitalized with a skull fracture.
Mohammed Abouzaid, 40, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and failure to yield to a pedestrian. He was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, and bail was set at $25,000.
Investigators said the driver was backing up a Toyota minivan that he was living in when the crash occurred; the vehicle struck the couple and then fled the scene. Abouzaid was arrested nearby.
The couple had arrived in New York after a Virgin cruise and were in the city to celebrate their anniversary, having attended a concert by the band The Kills on Sunday to mark the occasion, according to friends.
Lewalter Maric, described by friends as joyful, had moved to Hamburg after marrying in 2002. She worked for Apple and was known as a loyal and devoted friend, said Udo Meixer, a journalist for Nordbayern Kurier who has known her since she was 16.
Meixer recalled that Lewalter Maric never forgot a birthday and always stayed in touch, a reflection of the close ties she maintained with family and friends.
The crash happened in a busy Midtown corridor, an area visited by tourists and commuters alike. Police urged anyone with information to come forward as investigators continue to review surveillance footage and other evidence.