What was Paulina Nrecaj’s cause of death? Bronx woman dies after being impaled on fence during freak accident

On Saturday, September 10, 2022, Paulina Nrecaj, a resident of Bronx, NYC, died after she was impaled on a metal fence just a few steps away from her house. According to reports, she was walking home when she was hit by an SUV, the impact of which pushed her against the fence, and she was impaled by a spike.

Around 6.30 p.m. on Friday night, 59-year-old Paulina Nrecaj was out to get pizza when an SUV driver lost control of his vehicle and jumped the curb, hitting her fatally. According to police, she was hit by a gray Lexus SUV in front of her building at 2040 Bronxdale Ave. The family said that they were informed of the incident by a man who waited with an injured Paulina Nrecaj until EMS arrived. Her 32-year-old daughter, Diana Nrecaj, told The Post:

"[My father] came downstairs and there was a gentleman in the building holding my mother until EMS came and arrived."

She was transported to Jacobi Hospital, where she underwent surgery. However, Paulina Nrecaj passed away from her injuries soon after. Her husband of 40 years, 71-year-old Frane Nrecaj, said that the moment he looked at his injured wife, he knew that she was not going to make it:

"She was passed out. She lost a lot of blood coming from her mouth, a lot of blood coming from her nose."

Neighbors and passersby rushed to Nrecaj's aid and tried to save her while waiting for the EMS to arrive. Sall Arobye, an Uber driver, and Jada Bellamy, a nurse, helped in getting her off the metal fence. Bellamy, who witnessed the gruesome incident, said:

"I was holding the lady’s hand. She had a big, big gash on her left elbow and blood was coming from [her stomach]. I knew she had internal bleeding instantly so I was like 'Don’t move her.'"

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Who was Paulina Nrecaj? Family devastated by the sudden death of Bronx resident

Paulina Nrecaj was a stay-at-home mother of three and a grandmother who lived with her family in a Bronx residence until she died tragically on Saturday.

Nrecaj, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, left behind a grieving family who remember her as a "good sweet" woman. Her daughter, Diana Nrecaj, said:

"She was a good, sweet woman. She was a very good sweet woman. She didn’t deserve this. She was four steps away from her home."

Mourning the unexpected loss of his wife, Frane Nrecaj thanked her for raising his children. He said:

"To me she was a great person. She raised my kids. She was perfect. The kids were happy in their life. She was happy."

On Sunday, her friends and nearby residents came together for a makeshift memorial. Paulina Nrecaj, who recently celebrated her birthday, was a beloved neighbor. Vanessa Gonzalez, a longtime neighbor of the Nrecaj family, mourned the loss of a "kind-hearted" woman who had cared for her immensely. Gonzalez said:

"After my father passed away, she was an excellent friend to my mom."

According to The New York Post, Diana Nrecaj blamed her mother's horrifying death on a newly installed bike lane outside the building, which is protected by a row of parked cars. She believes that the configuration confuses the drivers.

The SUV responsible for Nrecaj's death has 168 violations, including 20 for speeding in school zones.