Dodge driver and passenger die in Belt Parkway crash.
A Dodge driver and passenger died in a crash that the official record places at 3:39 a.m. on June 24, 2023, on the Belt Parkway near Springfield Boulevard; CBS reported police said the driver sideswiped a Mazda.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
CBS and Spectrum reported police accounts that the Dodge driver sideswiped a Mazda before hitting a pole; the New York Post also described a pole, while the Daily News reported a rear impact and sideswipe followed by a tree collision. The reports differ on the initial contact and the roadside object. The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor.
The crash occurred near Springfield Boulevard.
The official record places the crash on the Belt Parkway at 3:39 a.m. on June 24, 2023. Press accounts place it on the westbound parkway near Springfield Boulevard in Queens; the Daily News specified Laurelton. Press reports gave approximate times ranging from about 3:40 to around 4 a.m.
Two occupants of the Dodge died.
The official record identifies the people killed as a 35-year-old man driving the Dodge and a 29-year-old woman in its rear seat. CBS, the New York Post and Spectrum reported that the woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the man later died at a hospital.
The official record, CBS and the New York Post give the passenger's age as 29; Spectrum reports her age as 39.
CBS reported that the Mazda driver, a 32-year-old woman, remained at the scene and was not hurt. The New York Post also reported that she was unhurt.
Reports use different vehicle descriptions.
Press accounts identify the vehicles as a Dodge Challenger and a Mazda CX-5. The official record classifies the corresponding vehicles as a sedan and a station wagon or sport utility vehicle, respectively.
Reports differ on how the crash unfolded.
CBS and Spectrum reported police accounts that the Dodge driver sideswiped a Mazda traveling in the center lane, then veered onto the grass and hit a pole; Spectrum described it as a traffic-sign pole. The New York Post described a rear-end collision before the driver lost control and hit a pole.
The Daily News described a rear impact and a driver-side sideswipe, followed by the Dodge spinning out and hitting a tree. CBS and the Daily News reported that the Dodge split in two. The reports differ on the initial contact and the roadside object.
The official record lists unsafe speed.
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. CBS and Spectrum reported police accounts that described the Dodge driver as speeding.