A driver fleeing an attempted theft fatally injures a Queens man.
A driver fleeing after an attempted theft from Mauro Chimbay's car fatally injured him near 85th Street and 25th Avenue, according to reports citing police and investigators; the city records one pedestrian killed in a crash there at 2:50 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2023.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
A driver fleeing after an attempted theft from Mauro Chimbay's car fatally injured him in East Elmhurst, according to reports citing police and investigators. The city record dates the crash to 2:50 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2023, at 25-17 85th Street and lists one pedestrian killed. Reports differ on the final moments: 1010 WINS said Chimbay held onto a white BMW and was struck; FOX 5 reported that the driver ran over him; CBS News reported police said he was thrown from a BMW, while a witness described a big SUV that Chimbay hit. CBS also reported that Chimbay had been playing volleyball at Gorman Playground and was a married father of two who worked in restaurants and construction.
Reports differ on the final sequence.
1010 WINS reported that two suspects tried to break into Chimbay's car and fled in their own white BMW. Citing police, the outlet said Chimbay held onto the suspect's car and was struck as they drove away. FOX 5 reported that Chimbay chased a suspect back to the vehicle and that police said the driver ran over him.
CBS News reported that investigators said Chimbay tried to stop a man who entered a BMW carrying a box from Chimbay's car; police said Chimbay was thrown from the vehicle. CBS also quoted nearby resident Wilson Acosta describing "a big SUV" that Chimbay hit. The reports do not establish whether Acosta meant the fleeing BMW or a separate vehicle.
The crash was near Gorman Playground.
The city records the crash at 25-17 85th Street in Queens at 2:50 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2023, with one pedestrian killed. 1010 WINS and FOX 5 placed it near the intersection of 85th Street and 25th Avenue. CBS News reported that Chimbay was playing volleyball at Gorman Playground when he saw a man breaking into his car nearby.
His family remembered him as a great father.
CBS News identified the victim as Mauro Chimbay; the city record lists a 43-year-old pedestrian killed in the crash. His brother described him as sociable and funny and said he had immigrated from Ecuador almost 30 years earlier. CBS reported that Chimbay was a married father of two and worked in restaurants and construction. His wife, Majore Monserrate, called him a great father.
Police continued searching for suspects.
1010 WINS and FOX 5 reported on Nov. 16 that Chimbay was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and that no arrests had been made. CBS News reported on Nov. 17 that police were still searching for two suspects and had returned to the scene Thursday to speak with witnesses and review surveillance video.