QUEENS, NY – Tragedy struck in Queens on Wednesday afternoon when a hit-and-run truck driver fatally struck a 16-year-old girl and left her 8-year-old sister critically injured. The incident occurred around 3:30 p.m., as the siblings were crossing at the intersection of 47th Avenue and 46th Street in Woodside.
According to NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera, the driver hit them while they were within the confines of the crosswalk. Afterward, the operator of the white Ready Refresh delivery truck initially fled the scene but was stopped a block away by the authorities.
The teenager died at the scene of the collision. The deadly collision happened directly in front of IS 125, where her younger sister is a student. The younger sister was transported to Cornell Medical Center and listed in critical condition with significant leg injuries.
Witnesses described a scene of grief and devastation, particularly noting the distraught mother. One witness, Justin Castillo, 15, shared that the mother appeared to be “inconsolable,” with her emotional state visibly rattled by the incident.
Rivera confirmed that the driver has been taken into police custody, though charges were yet to be filed as of the time of the report.