By Bryan Schwartzman
An 87-year-old woman who neighbors said had a passion for gardening was struck and killed Monday morning by a truck pulling out of a recycling plant in Jamaica that allegedly left the accident scene, police said.
The accident took place on Douglas Avenue near 175th Street, an industrial area near the Long Island Rail Road. Several houses are nearby.
Anna Ambrosino of 175-33 Douglas Ave. was struck at about 11:10 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, said Detective John Giammarino, a police spokesman. The driver apparently hit the woman in a lot outside the recycle plant and then fled the scene, Giammarino said.
Several hours later police arrested South Jamaica resident Robert Macky, 49, of 153-33 118th Ave., at Merrick Boulevard and Liberty Avenue, said Giammarino. Macky was charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving a fatality, police said.
Macky allegedly fled the scene after the accident, returned, and then fled again before being arrested at about 1:40 p.m., police said.
The bright yellow home belonging to Ambrosino is just across the street from Crown Recycling Limited at 175-33 Douglas Ave.
Her covered body was not removed for several hours as police investigated the accident while workers at the plant looked on, many of them in tears or appeared stunned.
“She lives here, she often comes by to make sure trucks don't make no noise,” said Saint Craford, the night manager at the plant.
Ambrosino, who relatives said lived in the same house for 40 years, often went inside the plant to say hello to employees, neighbors said.
“She was a nice friendly woman,” Craford said as he lowered his head and wiped his eyes. “It's so sad.”
He said none of the workers witnessed the accident, and he only knew something was wrong when he saw everyone had stopped what they doing.
Several members of the victim's family gathered at her home, including her only daughter, who wept uncontrollably.
“What is there to say? She was hit by a truck,” said one relative.
The outside of the house was decorated with well-kept gardens, and neighbors said the woman often helped them with maintaining their own gardens.
