Driver in Ford Explorer fatally hits 7-year-old in Queens
A 46-year-old woman driving east on Newtown Road allegedly failed to stop fully at 45th Street and hit 7-year-old Dolma Naadhun in Queens on Feb. 17, 2023; Dolma died at a hospital.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
On Feb. 17, 2023, a 46-year-old woman driving a Ford Explorer east on Newtown Road hit Dolma Naadhun, 7, as she crossed with her mother at 45th Street. Police investigators said the driver allegedly did not fully stop at a stop sign. Dolma died at Elmhurst Hospital. The city crash record lists driver inexperience as a contributing factor. Dolma was a second grader at PS85Q. After her death, her brother called for a traffic signal at the intersection, and the city said in April that it planned to install one.
The crossing and the response
The city recorded the crash at 5:49 p.m. on Feb. 17, 2023. Police said a 46-year-old woman was driving a 2021 Ford Explorer east on Newtown Road as Dolma Naadhun, 7, crossed at 45th Street with her mother. The driver hit Dolma, and police took her to Elmhurst Hospital, where she died.
The city record places Dolma in a marked crosswalk at the intersection.
Newtown Road at 45th Street
The city crash record and subsequent reporting place the crash at Newtown Road and 45th Street in Queens. An initial New York Post report instead placed it near 46th Street.
Dolma's brother said the intersections along Newtown Road were on their route to Astoria Heights Playground, which he described as her favorite place.
What investigators reported
Police investigators said the driver allegedly did not come to a full stop at the stop sign before hitting Dolma. The city crash record lists driver inexperience as a contributing factor.
Dolma and her school community
Dolma was a second grader at PS85Q in Astoria. A fundraiser organized with her school community described her as outgoing and compassionate and said she greeted students each morning. Her brother, Tsering Tashi Takgye, later wrote in a petition, "I miss my sister every second."
A family's call for a traffic signal
The driver remained at the scene and was not arrested, police reported. After Dolma's death, her brother petitioned for a traffic signal at the intersection. In April, the city's transportation department said it had improved crosswalk markings and made other changes there, and planned to install a signal in May.