NEW YORK, NY – A devastating hit-and-run incident claimed the life of a 75-year-old grandmother named Martina Sanchez Alcantara in the Bronx early Friday morning. As the police seek the driver involved in the fatal incident, the deceased’s family is calling for justice.
Remembered fondly by neighbors as seen from the candles and pictures displayed in her Grand Concourse apartment building, Alcantara was hit while she was crossing the street at Grand Concourse Avenue near 164th Street around 5:30 a.m. Authorities report that she had the right of way when a 2020 Volkswagen sedan bearing Florida plates struck and killed her just feet from her residence. Alcantara was reported to be on her way to her maintenance job in Manhattan.
According to grandson Fernando Rodriguez, Alcantara dutifully raised him alongside his siblings and always made herself available to those who needed her. The Dominican Republic native is remembered as a hardworking woman with a positive outlook on life. Described as hospitable, she never hesitated to offer food or drink to visitors and her neighbors.
Local resident Kathy Chiriguaya has initiated a fundraising effort to support Alcantara’s bereaved family. Alcantara’s family urges the perpetrator to acknowledge the distress they have inflicted on the family and to come forward.
Plans have been made to hold a memorial service for Alcantara in the city on next Wednesday night. The family aims to transport her remains to the Dominican Republic by late next week for another memorial ceremony.