Driver extradited and charged in fatal Ridgewood hit-and-run.
The Last Delivery
Police say driver Florin Stoian sped east on Myrtle Avenue and crossed the double yellow line to pass traffic before hitting pedestrian Be Tran; the city recorded one pedestrian death in the crash at 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2022.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police say Stoian sped east on Myrtle Avenue and crossed the double yellow line to pass traffic before hitting Be Tran as he crossed. The city recorded one pedestrian death at 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2022, and lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Authorities extradited Stoian from Germany in 2026 and charged him; his lawyer said he was innocent.
Police later described a passing maneuver.
Police say Stoian was driving east on Myrtle Avenue, speeding and crossing the double yellow line to pass traffic before he hit Tran as Tran crossed the street.
Early reports said the driver did not stop and continued south on Seneca Avenue. Reports differ on Tran's pronouncement: amNewYork said officers found him in the roadway and EMS later pronounced him dead, while QNS and CBS reported he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Reports also differ on vehicle subtype. The Daily News called it a black BMW X6 SUV, NY1 described a black sedan, and El Diario described a black BMW sedan; the city classified it as a station wagon or sport utility vehicle.
The city record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor and records driver inattention or distraction for the BMW.
Reports disagree about the exact intersection.
The city record names Myrtle Avenue and classifies the pedestrian's location as not at an intersection. News accounts differ: amNewYork and QNS's initial report placed the crossing at Myrtle Avenue and Hancock Street, while ABC7, NY1 and later QNS coverage placed it at Myrtle and Seneca avenues.
QNS reported that residents, civic groups and elected officials rallied nearby on Aug. 17, 2022. Witness Adrian King separately urged the city to install a signal at Weirfield Street and Seneca Avenue; the Department of Transportation said it would study the Ridgewood intersection for potential safety improvements.
Tran's family remembered a generous father.
The city record and several reports give Tran's age as 74; an ABC7 family report described him as 75. ABC7 reported that he immigrated from Vietnam in the mid-1990s and worked for DoorDash.
Family accounts differed slightly about his final delivery that night. ABC7 said he was finishing it, while CBS reported that relatives said he had just completed it and was heading home to feed his dog.
His daughter Tina told ABC7 that Tran taught her and her sister to drive and offered them lessons on being good people. His daughter Anh called him "a very giving man." ABC7 also reported that a fundraiser was set up to help with funeral costs.
Authorities extradited Stoian and filed charges.
Authorities returned Stoian from Germany in February 2026 after he served a three-year prison term there for theft. The Daily News reported that he was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, arson, leaving the scene of a fatal accident, criminal mischief, tampering with evidence and reckless driving. A judge ordered him held without bail.
Reports differ about what happened to the BMW before it was set on fire. CBS said prosecutors alleged Stoian parked it about a mile away and returned hours later; the New York Post reported prosecutors said he crashed it and ran off before returning. Both accounts said he later set it on fire. CBS reported that the fire spread to other cars and homes, while the Post said it damaged several buildings.
Before arraignment, Stoian told reporters, "This was an accident. I didn't want to do it. I'm sorry for his family," CBS reported. The Post later reported that his lawyer said Stoian was innocent. Tran's brother Hong told the Post, "I want justice for my brother," and said he had waited more than three years.