Beloved Brooklyn Pastor Tripped and Fell, Was Tragically Hit by Car and Killed While Crossing the Street

A church in Brooklyn is mourning the sudden loss of a beloved pastor after a tragic accident.

The Christian Post reported Aracely Courtenay was killed while crossing the street in Flatbush. Around 7 p.m. on Feb. 18, Courtenay stepped into a depression and fell to the ground. As a a 2015 Toyota Highlander was making a right turn, the SUV hit the 50-year-old, causing head trauma.

She was rushed to Kings County Hospital Center where she was pronounced dead. According to The New York Post, the driver of the Highlander was a 58-year-old man who remained on the scene during the incident.

Courtenay was the assistant pastor to the Emmanuel Church of God, where her husband, Bishop Curt E. Courtenay, is listed as senior pastor, according to the church’s website. A post was made on the church’s Facebook page asking for prayers during this difficult time. “Emmanuel Family, it is with a heavy heart, that we share with you the untimely and unexpected passing of our beloved Pastor Aracely Courtenay our 1st Lady,” the post read. “Again, your prayers are most needed at this time for God strength and as a family we will support and love on each other through this.”

Not only a loss to the church, Courtenay’s tragic death is a loss to the Brooklyn community. The NY Post reported she worked in property management for eight years, coordinating housing for low- and moderate-income families, focusing on single mothers. Courtenay also supervised the Talitha Cumi Women’s Ministry. As church services continued on Sunday, Bishop Joe Nathan Boyd preached a touching sermon to a grieving congregation. “Just for a moment, look at your neighbor and say, ‘I know that your heart is heavy,” Boyd preached, reported by The Christian Post. “Your heart and my heart, we can make it.”

Besides her husband, Courtenay leaves behind two children, Gesai, Curt Jr. and Kayris. The driver of the vehicle has not been charged.