Husband and wife Nathan and Raizy Glauber, both 21, were travelling from Brooklyn to Manhattan in the back of a private taxi service when the car was struck by a speeding BMW, the New York Post reports. The force of the accident ejected Raizel from the car.......news.
The BMW driver and a passenger fled the scene on foot. Miraculously, members of the ambulance service were able to deliver the couple’s son at the scene before taking him to hospital in a serious condition.
The infant was in serious condition at a hospital, said Isaac Abraham, a neighbour of Raizy Glauber's parents who lives two blocks from the scene of the crash. Mr and Mrs Glauber were transported to different hospitals where each was pronounced dead.
The crash was still under investigation early on Sunday, and police were not sure of its cause.
The Glaubers were Orthodox Jews, and Abraham often speaks publicly for the different sects in the ultra-orthodox community, which has strict rules governing clothing, social customs and interaction with the outside world. Men wear dark clothing that includes a long coat and a fedora-type hat and often have long beards and ear locks.
Abraham called the couple's death "a tragedy beyond (belief) just coming off a joyous holiday as Purim" as they were getting ready to welcome their first child.
A funeral for the Glaubers was planned for Sunday afternoon. Jewish law calls for burial of the dead as soon as possible.
Brooklyn is home to the largest community of ultra-orthodox Jews outside Israel, more than 250,000.
