A 27-year-old woman who had moved from Massachusetts to New York City to build her career and plan her future was tragically killed Friday morning after being struck by a wrong-way driver in Manhattan’s West Village.
Authorities identified the victim as Valerie Schoeck, originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts, who had been living in the West Village. The fatal collision occurred around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Morton Street and Seventh Avenue South, when a black GMC Savana van turned the wrong way and hit Schoeck as she was crossing the street.
Police said the driver, a 61-year-old man, had just exited a nearby parking garage before mistakenly turning into oncoming traffic on the one-way street. Schoeck was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where she later died from her injuries, according to the New York Post.
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| Valerie Schoeck, Cambridge Native Living in New York City, Killed by Wrong-Way Driver in West Village — 27-Year-Old Was Engaged to Be Married |
“The woman killed is my nephew’s fiancée,” Barlow’s aunt, Carol, wrote on a 1010 WINS TikTok post about the crash. “We are all shocked, desperately saddened, and in disbelief. Her name is Valerie. She was to be married in June. There are no words to describe the grief. She was an extraordinary, gorgeous young lady. Thank you for your prayers.”
A Rising Professional with a Promising Future
According to her LinkedIn profile, Schoeck worked as a Vice President at Argot Partners, LLC, a New York-based strategic communications firm. She joined the company in July 2020 as a junior associate and quickly rose through the ranks.
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| Valerie Schoeck, Cambridge Native Living in New York City, Killed by Wrong-Way Driver in West Village — 27-Year-Old Was Engaged to Be Married |
At the time of the crash, the 61-year-old driver of the 2020 GMC Savana — which carried New Jersey plates — remained at the scene and was cooperating with police. As of Friday, no charges had been filed, authorities said.
The investigation into the fatal wrong-way crash remains ongoing.
