Raytawon Wright charged after fatal Rockaway boardwalk crash
Raytawon Wright was later charged after police said he lost control while traveling west near Beach 47 Street; the official record places the crash on the Rockaway boardwalk at 3:04 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2022, with one person killed and one injured.
Approximate reported location.
What We Know
Police later identified Raytawon Wright as the westbound rider in the Aug. 29, 2022, crash at the Rockaway boardwalk and Beach 47 Street. News reports identified passenger David Molina as the person who died and said a 55-year-old man was injured; the official record logs the crash at 3:04 p.m. and counts one person killed and one injured. QNS, recounting the police investigation, said Wright lost control, hit a bench and then a pedestrian, and that Molina was thrown during the initial bench collision. The initial Daily News report described an impact with a rollerblader before saying the passenger was thrown toward the ground; the accounts differ on when he fell. ABC7 and the Daily News called the injured 55-year-old man a rollerblader, while CBS said he was walking. QNS later reported Wright was charged with manslaughter and other crimes.
Reports differ on the crash sequence and the injured man's activity.
QNS, citing the NYPD collision investigation, reported that Wright was riding west with Molina as passenger when he lost control, hit a bench and then a pedestrian. QNS said Molina was thrown during the initial collision with the bench. The initial Daily News report described an impact with a rollerblader before saying the passenger was thrown toward the ground. These accounts differ on when Molina fell.
ABC7 and the Daily News described the injured 55-year-old man as rollerblading; CBS said he was walking. News reports described him as having minor injuries. The official record counts one motorist injury and no pedestrian injuries, while news reports describe a 55-year-old pedestrian with minor injuries.
The reported intersection varied across accounts.
The official record places the crash on the Boardwalk at Beach 47 Street, at 3:04 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2022. ABC7 and QNS also name Beach 47 Street, while the initial Daily News and CBS accounts place it near Beach 49 Street. ABC7 reported that motorized or electric bikes, scooters and ATVs are prohibited on the boardwalk.
Family described Molina's plans and their grief.
Molina had planned a job interview.
QNS identified the passenger as David Molina, 26, of Cedarhurst. ABC7 reported that he grew up there and that his family was from Honduras. The Daily News reported that Molina told his mother, Lily Molina, he planned to go to Brooklyn for a job interview and apply for a plumbing position. His aunt told ABC7, "She's in despair. He was her only son."
Reports used different descriptions of the bike.
The official record classifies the vehicle as a 2022 Qipai motorcycle with two occupants, traveling west. QNS and the follow-up Daily News account call it a Qipai Hunier dirt bike; QNS also reports westbound travel.
Wright was later arrested and charged.
QNS reported that Wright fled on foot after the crash. On April 17, 2024, QNS reported that Raytawon Wright, 26, had been arrested and arraigned that Monday in Queens Supreme Court after a grand jury indictment. The indictment charged him with manslaughter, leaving the scene without reporting, reckless driving and other crimes.