A woman died outside of Yankee Stadium early on Thursday after a BMW allegedly carrying stolen catalytic converters hit her Mitsubishi head-on.
The victim, who was 69 years old, was moving north on E. at about 5:15 in the morning, 161st St. and River Ave. police and witnesses claim that she was traveling east on River Road when a speeding BMW X6 smashed into her car, taking off the driver’s side wheel.
The driver of the dark-gray BMW and his two passengers leaped out of the car and fled as emergency personnel arrived.
EMS took the woman to Lincoln Hospital, but she could not be saved. Her identity was withheld as police searched for her family members.
Twelve catalytic converters were discovered by arriving police in the BMW’s trunk, which was missing its registration plates.
The NYPD were also attempting to determine whether the car was stolen.
According to the NYPD, the theft of catalytic converters has increased significantly over the past few years. The equipment aids in reducing exhaust emissions.
Catalytic converters are sold to junkyards and recycling facilities for anywhere between $50 and $250 for the semiprecious metals they contain.
Platinum, palladium, and rhodium are some of these. According to the NYPD, motorists who have them taken from their vehicles must pay roughly $2,000 to replace them.
This summer, the NYPD’s auto crime unit launched a special scheme to try and stop these thefts, under which car owners can have a serial number etched into their catalytic converters and register with the authorities.
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