Tamir Khan sentenced after fatal Queens collision
A Lift to Work
Tamir Khan drove through a stop sign and hit a westbound car at 117th Street and 111th Avenue in Queens at 4:24 a.m. on June 5, 2023; the official record counts two motorist deaths, and Khan later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven to 21 years.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
According to charges reported by QNS, Khan drove north on 117th Street at high speed and went through a stop sign before hitting a westbound Toyota at 111th Avenue. The official record places the collision at 4:24 a.m. on June 5, 2023, and counts two motorist deaths. QNS later reported that driver Inderdeo John, 64, died at Jamaica Hospital that morning, while passenger Charles Harris, 71, died there the next day. John often volunteered to drive friends and neighbors, and Harris was headed to a custodian job at a nearby public school. Khan pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI charges and was sentenced to seven to 21 years in prison.
A stop sign, then conflicting accounts
According to charges reported by QNS, Khan drove north on 117th Street at high speed and went through a stop sign at 111th Avenue before hitting a westbound Toyota. QNS reported that the Toyota spun into a utility pole.
Reports differ on Khan's movements afterward. The Daily News reported that Khan continued driving after the collision and struck two parked cars; it also said police took him into custody immediately. QNS later reported that he drove away, returned about 30 minutes later and admitted he had been driving.
Two neighborhood descriptions
The official record places the collision at 117th Street and 111th Avenue in Queens. The Daily News described the area as South Ozone Park, while QNS called it Richmond Hill and described the block as residential.
The cars and model-name discrepancy
QNS reported that Khan drove a gray Audi and hit a silver 2001 Toyota Camry heading west. The Daily News, the Post and QNS's July indictment report identify Khan's Audi as an A4; QNS's later sentencing report prints the model as "4A." The official record lists a 2013 Audi sedan and a 2001 Toyota sedan among four sedans recorded in the collision.
Neighbors on the way to work
QNS identified Inderdeo John, 64, as the Toyota's driver and Charles Harris, 71, as its passenger. John was a retiree who often volunteered to drive friends and neighbors; Harris was headed to his job as a custodian at a nearby public school. QNS described them as South Ozone Park neighbors. Reports vary in the order of John's name: the Daily News and QNS's sentencing report use Inderdeo John, while the Post and QNS's indictment report use John Inderdeo.
QNS reported that EMS took John to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead later that morning. It said Harris was also taken there, initially listed in critical condition and then died the next day from head and chest injuries. The Daily News's June 5 report described Harris as still in critical condition.
A guilty plea and prison sentence
QNS reported that Khan pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and DWI charges, satisfying all charges in the case. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise sentenced him to seven to 21 years in prison.
QNS reported that an Intoxilyzer test about two hours after the collision measured Khan's blood alcohol content at .09%, above the .08% DWI threshold.