A driver was indicted after a 3-year-old boy was killed in a Flushing hit-and-run.
He Learned Quickly
Prosecutors alleged Kevin Gomez struck 3-year-old Quintus Chen and left the scene; the official record lists one pedestrian killed in a crash on College Point Boulevard in Flushing at 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2023.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Prosecutors alleged Kevin Gomez pulled forward in a white 2014 Infiniti Q50 and struck Quintus Chen before leaving the scene on College Point Boulevard. Earlier police accounts described the driver backing out, so reports differ on the precise movement. The official record lists a crash at 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2023, with one pedestrian killed. Gomez was later indicted on 14 counts, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and assault.
Quintus was remembered by his family.
NY1 reported that Quintus Chen and his father, Jimmy Chen, were walking home from a doctor's appointment. His mother, Karen Ng, described him as a “cute and adorable” boy and said, “His teachers say he learns pretty fast.” ABC7 reported that the family was raising money to bury him in Oklahoma, where his grandparents were buried.
Accounts differed on how the driver moved.
The official record lists one pedestrian killed in a crash on College Point Boulevard at 6:40 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2023.
QNS's Dec. 7 account of prosecutors' allegations said Gomez pulled forward from a parking space and struck Chen, who was dragged about 10 feet; Gomez appeared to slow or stop before leaving. Earlier accounts differed: QNS reported that police said the driver reversed out of a parking lot, while Fox 5 reported that the driver began pulling out and then backed up as the boy ran behind the car. ABC7 described the driver pulling out southbound and reported that the boy was struck at the sedan's left front tire. The reports do not establish one consistent sequence.
The intersection drew concern about pedestrian safety.
The crash happened on College Point Boulevard near 41st Avenue in Flushing. ABC7 described a commercial strip with an active driveway that was often blocked, and Assemblymember Ron Kim said, “it is not a safe sidewalk for families.”
An arrest was followed by an indictment.
QNS reported that police arrested Gomez, 20, on Nov. 30. The outlet later reported that he was indicted on 14 counts, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and assault. These are charges, not findings of guilt. Prosecutors said the Infiniti was found at College Point Boulevard and Pople Avenue at about 8:50 p.m., roughly four blocks from the collision site.