A tearful crowd of people clutching birthday balloons gathered on an Upper West Side corner Monday for the renaming of a street in honor of Ariel Russo, 4, who was killed by an unlicensed teen driver in June.
A section of West 97th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue is now marked with an official city street sign bearing the words: “Ariel Russo Place (Four Years Old).”
Monday would have been Ariel’s fifth birthday.
“She would have had a ballerina-themed party,” the little girl’s mom, Sophia Russo, told a crowd that included Ariel’s family, schoolmates and teachers from nearby Holy Name School and several politicians.
“I haven’t stood on this corner since it happened,” Sophia said.
“I’m so honored to have this street named after her. It illuminates and brings light to a place where a tragedy happened.”