Teen Motorcyclist Dies After Queens Bus Collision
Dylan Picaza, 16, died at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens after police said he hit the side of an in-service Q49 bus while riding a motorcycle on Oct. 10, 2023.
What We Know
City crash records place the fatal collision at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens at 10:37 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2023. The official record lists a 16-year-old male motorcycle driver as the person killed and cites traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor; the motorcycle entry also lists unsafe speed. The Daily News, citing police and sources with knowledge of the case, identified the rider as Dylan Picaza and reported that he was riding east when he hit the side of an in-service Q49 bus, was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene. The paper reported that he was not wearing a helmet, that the bus carried no passengers, that the 52-year-old MTA bus driver was not injured and that no criminal charges were filed.
What the records and police account say happened
The official crash record places the collision at 10:37 p.m. and lists one person killed: a 16-year-old male motorcycle driver. The motorcycle entry says the rider was traveling east and going straight ahead; the bus entry lists a northbound driver, also going straight ahead.
The Daily News, citing police, reported that Dylan Picaza was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle east on Astoria Boulevard when he hit the side of a Q49 bus at 101st Street. The paper reported that he was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene.
A Queens corner on a high-crash street
The crash happened at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens, near East Elmhurst, according to the official record and the Daily News account.
CrashCountNYC's location context for 101st Street in Queens shows 217 crashes, 108 injuries, 5 serious injuries and 2 deaths since 2022.
Dylan Picaza and the bus driver
The Daily News identified the rider as Dylan Picaza, a 16-year-old Queens boy. His mother told the paper he was born in Peru, liked riding bikes and followed sports.
Speed, traffic control and the investigation
The official crash record cites traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor, and the motorcycle entry also lists unsafe speed. The Daily News reported, citing sources with knowledge of the case, that the teen was traveling at a high rate of speed; the paper also reported that police said he was not wearing a helmet.
The Daily News reported that no criminal charges were filed. Dylan's mother told the paper she wanted a fuller investigation into the crash.