Driver charged after fatal Queens pedestrian crash.
Driver Joseph Capella struck a 57-year-old pedestrian at Metropolitan Avenue and Rentar Plaza at about 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2022; the official record lists one pedestrian killed, and QNS reported police charged Capella with driving without a license.
Approximate reported location.
What We Know
At about 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 13, 2022, driver Joseph Capella, identified by QNS, struck a 57-year-old man at Metropolitan Avenue and Rentar Plaza in Queens. The official record lists one pedestrian killed. QNS reported that police took Capella into custody and charged him with driving without a license; the Daily News said the 46-year-old driver faced no immediate charges. Police found the pedestrian with body trauma, and QNS reported EMS took him in critical condition to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The pedestrian was taken to Elmhurst Hospital.
QNS reported that police found the 57-year-old man in the roadway with body trauma. EMS took him in critical condition to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The official record places the crash at Metropolitan Avenue and Rentar Plaza on Jan. 13, 2022, at 7:45 p.m. It records one pedestrian killed and no other injuries.
Reports place the intersection in different Queens neighborhoods.
The official record locates the crash at Metropolitan Avenue and Rentar Plaza. The Daily News described the intersection as being in Ridgewood, while QNS placed it in Middle Village.
QNS identified the driver and the pedestrian's age.
QNS reported that the pedestrian was a 57-year-old man and that his identity was being withheld pending family notification. The outlet identified the driver as Joseph Capella, 46, of 75th Street in Middle Village.
The official record and news reports describe the vehicle differently.
The official vehicle entry records an eastbound vehicle going straight and classifies it as a station wagon or sport utility vehicle. QNS identified the vehicle involved as a 2007 Cadillac Escalade; the Daily News also described it as an Escalade.
Reports differ on whether charges had been filed immediately.
QNS reported that Capella remained at the scene, was later taken into custody, and was charged with driving without a license. The Daily News also said the driver remained at the scene but reported that he faced no immediate charges.
QNS said the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad was investigating.