Woman, 95, Survived Nazis, Chernobyl and the COVID Pandemic. Then She Was Killed While Crossing the Street

Mar. 15, 2025

A NYPD vehicle.Photo:Getty

Getty

Police said the health aide, who has not been identified publicly, sustained some leg injuries and was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, but Gil sustained a head injury and was taken to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn. There she succumbed to her injuries.

The driver, a 64-year-old man, was not arrested, according to police, who say the investigation remains ongoing.

The street in front of Mayya Gil’s home in Brooklyn, New York.Google Maps

Google Maps

Originally from Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, Gil fled to Kyiv with her mother and brother when she was 12 years old, according to a 2020 profile fromThe New York Times.There, she met her husband Vilyam, and the pair later welcomed twin daughters.

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Gil’s husband died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19. She spoke candidly about his death toThe New York Times, revealing that he spent his final two days in the hospital without her being able to visit.

However, Gil looked back at her 68-year marriage with love, tellingTimesin 2020, “We were like one person.”

Despite her hardships, Gil’s family said they will remember her as a pillar of the community.

“Everybody knows her,” Lizunova told Gothamist of her mother, who was also a great grandmother of seven. “She was a very active lady.”

“She basically raised me since day one,” added Gil’s granddaughter, Natasha Famighetti. “She was the kindest, most generous person I’ve ever met.”

Famighetti continued, “Nothing gave her more joy than just being around her family.”

source: people.com