Motorcyclist Killed in Richmond Hill Red-Light Crash
A 31-year-old motorcyclist, Francisco Santiago, was killed at Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard after police said he rode through a red light and collided with a driver in Queens.
What We Know
Francisco Santiago, 31, was riding west on Atlantic Avenue at Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill at about 7:40 a.m. on September 10, 2022, when police said he disobeyed a red light and was in a collision with a 30-year-old driver traveling on Lefferts Boulevard. The city crash record lists a motorcycle and a sedan, one motorist killed, and no other injuries. Police told reporters Santiago was ejected, suffered multiple body trauma, and was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The other driver stayed at the scene, and police said no criminality was suspected; the Daily News reported she had not been charged.
Police said Santiago rode through a red light
The crash happened at about 7:40 a.m. Saturday, September 10, 2022, at Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in Richmond Hill. Police told the New York Post and the Daily News that Francisco Santiago, 31, was riding west on Atlantic Avenue when he disobeyed a red light and was in a collision with a driver traveling north on Lefferts Boulevard.
The city crash record lists the crash at 7:41 a.m. and records one motorist killed and no other injuries. It lists a motorcycle traveling west and a sedan traveling north, with the sedan driver making a left turn before the crash.
Francisco Santiago died after being taken to Jamaica Hospital
Police identified the rider as Francisco Santiago, 31, of Williamsburg. The New York Post reported that he was wearing a helmet, was ejected during the collision, and suffered multiple body trauma. Medics took him to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Daily News reported that Santiago, also known as Frankie, was coming home from an overnight shift with a private sanitation company, according to his mother. The article reported that he was survived by two sisters.
Lefferts Boulevard has a long record of severe crashes
The fatal crash occurred at Atlantic Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard in Queens. CrashCountNYC location data for Lefferts Boulevard in Queens records 709 crashes, 532 injuries, 26 serious injuries, and 4 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
The other driver stayed at the scene
Police said the 30-year-old driver of the other vehicle remained at the scene and no one else was injured. The New York Post reported that an NYPD spokeswoman said no criminality was suspected, and the Daily News reported that the driver had not been charged.
Crash records cite driver inexperience
The city crash record lists driver inexperience as a contributing factor and records the motorcycle driver as unlicensed in New York. The press accounts focus on the police statement that Santiago disobeyed the red light before the collision.