A New York City driver faces criminal charges more than three months after allegedly striking and killing a young woman in a crosswalk just months before her planned wedding, highlighting concerns about pedestrian safety and the lengthy timeline for justice in fatal traffic incidents.

Arrest Made Three Months After Fatal Collision

Gary Levinson, 62, was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving in connection with the November 6 crash that killed Valerie Schoeck, 27, according to police officials. The East Village resident allegedly struck Schoeck while driving the wrong way on Morton Street at the Seventh Avenue South intersection in Greenwich Village around 8:30 a.m. Levinson was operating a 2020 GMC Savanna van and making a left turn when he hit the young woman as she crossed in the crosswalk, authorities stated.

Schoeck, a Massachusetts native who had relocated to the West Village from Cambridge, was transported to Bellevue Hospital but succumbed to her injuries. Levinson remained at the scene following the collision but was not immediately charged. A subsequent investigation revealed he was traveling in the wrong direction in traffic when the fatal impact occurred, prompting prosecutors to pursue criminal charges.

Victim Was Planning June Wedding

The tragedy struck just months before Schoeck was scheduled to marry her fiancé, Ross Barlow, in a summer ceremony. Family members expressed their profound grief in the aftermath of her death. A relative identified as Carol wrote on social media that Schoeck was “an extraordinary gorgeous young lady” and described the family’s shock and disbelief. The couple had been preparing for their June wedding when the fatal collision cut those plans short. Barlow declined to speak with reporters who visited the couple’s apartment in November.

Legal Proceedings Move Forward

Levinson was arraigned on an indictment in Manhattan Supreme Court on Tuesday and released on his own recognizance, according to prosecutors and court records. He is scheduled to return to court on April 8 for further proceedings. Police records indicate Levinson has no prior arrests. The charges of criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving reflect prosecutors’ determination that his actions behind the wheel constituted criminal conduct, though the investigation took several months to complete before formal charges were filed against the driver.