Groom-to-Be Killed in N.Y.C Wrong-Way Crash 1 Day Before Wedding: 'Doesn't Seem Real to Me,' Fiancée Says

Mar. 15, 2025

A groom-to-be in New York died one day before his wedding after a wrong-way pickup truck driver crashed into his vehicle, killing him and his cousin.

Kirk Walker, 38, was driving a Dodge Challenger with his cousin, 40-year-old Robert McLaurin, on the northbound lanes of Henry Hudson Parkway near West 165th Street on Saturday, Aug. 24, when a pickup truck driver slammed head-on into their vehicle at 2:21 a.m, the New York City Police Department confirmed to PEOPLE.

The pickup truck driver and his 22-year-old passenger exited the vehicle before it burst into flames as a result of the crash. Police stopped the passenger, and the driver remains at large, the NYPD tells PEOPLE.

A stock image of the Henry Hudson Parkway.Getty

Getty

Stock image of an ambulance.Getty

Walker’s father, Kirk Sr., had a message for the wrong-way driver, telling the outlet, “I want them to see my face. I just want them to know, it ain’t over. It’s not over.”

McLaurin was also excited about Walker’s wedding day for one special reason — he was going to introduce his new girlfriend to Walker.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen my son relaxed and happy in a long time. [McLaurin] was ecstatic to show her off to his cousin," his mother toldThe New York Daily News. “He had talked about it. He was ready to show her off to him, and that’s why they were out celebrating that night.”

While describing their close relationship, she added they were “like brothers.”

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“They grew up together and they talked every day. They was really close,” she told the outlet. AGoFundMehas been made to support the family. As of this writing, it’s accumulated 114 donations, and raised over $16,000.

source: people.com