Actress Wenne Alton Davis, known for her role in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” was struck and killed by a black Cadillac SUV in midtown Manhattan on the evening of December 8, 2025. She was 60 years old. The collision occurred at approximately 9 p.m. at the intersection of West 53rd Street and Broadway, according to NBC News.
Davis sustained severe trauma to the head and body as a result of the collision, the NYPD said. She was transported to Mount Sinai West Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, Fox News reported. The vehicle that struck her was identified by police as a 2023 Cadillac XT6. The driver remained at the scene and was not injured.
According to TMZ, police said the driver hit Davis while making a left turn onto West 53rd Street, and Davis had the right of way at the time. The crash occurred less than four blocks from Radio City Music Hall and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, according to UPI, in one of the busiest corridors of the city during the holiday season.
No arrests were made immediately following the collision, with an investigation by the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad initially ongoing. However, the driver was later identified as 62-year-old MD Abdul Shomuz of the Bronx and was arrested and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian, according to PIX11 New York.
Davis’s legal name was Wendy Davis, and she performed under the stage name Wenne Alton Davis, according to her agent Jamie Harris, who spoke to The New York Times. She was born on October 18, 1965, in Durham, North Carolina, according to FOX 13 Tampa Bay. She lived in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York.Maisel” on Amazon Prime. She also appeared in the TV series “Girls5eva,” “Blindspot,” “New Amsterdam,” and “The Normal Heart.” Her film credits included the 2011 drama “Shame,” which starred Michael Fassbender, and the 2004 short film “Ladies Room.” She also appeared in the NBC series “American Odyssey.”
Before finding her footing in the entertainment industry, Davis moved to New York in her 20s originally to pursue stand-up comedy before transitioning to acting, according to her agent Jamie Harris, who spoke to The New York Times. To support herself during those early years, she worked at John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was a path that reflected determination and resilience — qualities those close to her said defined her life.
Harris paid tribute to Davis on Instagram following her death. “Rest in peace, old friend. We will miss you forever,” he wrote.
Davis’s friend Edward Reynoso told Men’s Journal that just hours before the fatal collision, Davis had told him, “I love you, I appreciate you.” Reynoso told the New York Daily News that Davis always texted him when leaving or coming home, and he grew worried when she did not respond to his messages that evening. The silence, he would later learn, marked the end of a life that had touched many in New York’s acting community.
The tragedy has drawn renewed attention to pedestrian safety in New York City, particularly in the congested streets of midtown Manhattan. The intersection where Davis was struck sits in one of the most heavily trafficked areas of the city, where thousands of pedestrians navigate alongside vehicles each day. The holiday season, with its influx of tourists and shoppers, only intensifies the dangers.
The NYPD’s investigation into the circumstances of the collision remains ongoing. Davis is survived by the memory of a career built through persistence and a personality that left a lasting impression on friends and colleagues alike.
