BMW Driver Charged After Scooter Rider Dies in Queens Crash
A scooter rider was killed in a Nov. 26, 2022 crash at 37th Avenue and 82nd Street in Queens, and police told amNewYork that BMW driver Jairo Ortiz faced manslaughter and drunk-driving charges.
What We Know
A scooter rider was killed early Nov. 26, 2022, at 37th Avenue and 82nd Street in Queens. The city crash record lists a westbound motorscooter driver and a southbound sedan driver, with alcohol involvement recorded for the sedan driver. The New York Post reported the scooter operator died at Elmhurst Hospital and that the 24-year-old BMW driver stayed at the scene and was arrested. amNewYork later identified the BMW driver as Jairo Ortiz and reported that police said he faced vehicular manslaughter, drunk-driving, and license, registration, and insurance charges. Sources differed on impact details: amNewYork reported the rider crashed into the back of the BMW sedan, while the city record lists damage to the sedan's left-side doors.
Early-morning collision in Jackson Heights
The city crash record says one motorist was killed at 1:16 a.m. on Nov. 26, 2022, at 37 Avenue and 82 Street in Queens. The record lists a motorscooter driver traveling west and a sedan driver traveling south before the crash.
The New York Post reported that the scooter operator was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died. Police told the Post that the 24-year-old BMW driver remained at the scene and was arrested.
37th Avenue is a high-crash corridor through Queens
The crash happened at 37th Avenue and 82nd Street in Jackson Heights. CrashCountNYC's street-level context for 37th Avenue in Queens shows 1,173 crashes, 670 injuries, 55 serious injuries and 6 deaths since 2022.
amNewYork reported that a stretch of 37th Avenue in Woodside and Jackson Heights had been designated a Vision Zero priority corridor in 2019 after multiple deaths between Woodside Avenue and 114th Street.
Alcohol and licensing were central to the record and arrest
The city record lists alcohol involvement for the sedan driver and says both drivers were unlicensed. amNewYork reported that police determined Jairo Ortiz was intoxicated.
Sources differ on the impact detail
The city record lists a 2021 Zhilong motorscooter and a 2011 BMW sedan. It records front-end damage to the motorscooter and left-side door damage to the sedan.
amNewYork reported that the scooter rider crashed into the back of the BMW sedan, while the city record documents left-side damage to the sedan. The Post described the incident more generally as a collision between the scooter rider and the BMW driver.
Elected officials pointed to preventable traffic violence
amNewYork reported that Councilmember Shekar Krishnan called the death a senseless loss on Thanksgiving weekend, and State Senator Jessica Ramos urged residents not to drink and drive.