NYPD / Dept of Corrections
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A man fatally struck and dragged by an SUV on the Upper East Side over the weekend was previously known for a daring escape from city custody last year.
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James Mossetty, 36, was crossing York Avenue near East 72nd Street around 5 a.m. Saturday when he was hit by a Toyota RAV4, according to the NYPD. Authorities say the driver didn’t stop after the collision and continued driving with Mossetty trapped beneath the vehicle, dragging him for roughly 12 blocks before the body dislodged near the lower level of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.
Emergency responders brought Mossetty to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
His death has left his family devastated. “He was a father,” Mossetty’s brother told the NY Daily News. “He was definitely loved, and we need justice.”
Police arrested 71-year-old Abdul Hakim later that morning in Queens, where he lives. He has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash and was arraigned Sunday in Queens Criminal Court. A judge ordered him held on $300,000 bond.
“I guess it’s a relief a little bit because the guy is caught — but no, it’s no relief,” Mossetty’s brother added. “My brother’s gone. I will never get that back.”
Mossetty made headlines in 2024 after escaping from Bellevue Hospital on June 26. At the time, he was in the custody of the Department of Correction and was being prepared for transport back to Rikers Island when he slipped out of his handcuffs and fled. His disappearance triggered a nearly three-week manhunt before he was found and re-arrested on July 16.
Prior to the escape, Mossetty had been incarcerated on misdemeanor assault and drug charges stemming from an incident in Queens, where he had allegedly skipped out on a cab fare. He also had open warrants for failing to appear in court dating back to 2021, and a 2022 arrest in Florida for allegedly attacking a police officer working as a school crossing guard.
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Despite his legal troubles, family members say Mossetty had been trying to turn his life around.
“James was a true survivor, having overcome more than most could imagine,” his sister wrote in an emotional Instagram post. “With more lives than a cat, he faced obstacle after obstacle with grit and resilience.”
The status of the criminal charges stemming from Mossetty’s 2024 escape was not immediately clear.
Authorities continue to investigate the fatal crash.
Following the publication of this article, we received the following “Family Statement on the Death of James Mossetty”:
“We are devastated by the preventable loss of our beloved James Mossetty. He was struck and dragged for more than two miles by a taxi driver who admitted he was at the end of a 12-hour shift and did not realize what he had done. Hours before, James had sought mental health care, but he was discharged from a hospital at around 3:00 AM with no safe place to go.
“James’s life was marked by struggles with poverty, mental illness, and homelessness, yet he was so much more than those struggles. He was a son, a brother, a father, and a human being who deserved dignity, compassion, and safety. To portray him through arrest photos — or define him by his record — is to erase his humanity and compound our grief. Such coverage misrepresents the truth: James was not just a man with a record; he was a victim of systemic neglect, a fatigued driver, and now the media’s framing. We respectfully request that these arrest photos be removed and replaced with an image that reflects his dignity.
“James’s story reveals systemic failures at every level: criminalizing poverty (he once spent seven months in Rikers Island for nothing more than fare evasion), unsafe hospital discharge practices, inadequate mental health services, and laws that fail to treat fatigued driving as a crime. His death is not an isolated tragedy — it is the result of failures we can and must correct.
“We are calling for change. We urge lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill A6638, which would finally recognize fatigued driving as an offense and hold drivers accountable when exhaustion results in fatalities. We also call on city and state leaders to strengthen hospital discharge protections and expand housing and mental health services, so that no other family endures the preventable loss we now carry.
“James Mossetty’s life mattered. His story should not end in tragedy — it should drive reform.
On behalf of the Family,
Jessica Hernandez
Sister and Former Legal Guardian of James Mossetty”
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