Scooter passenger killed after operator swerved in Jamaica
A 25-year-old scooter operator headed east on Jamaica Avenue swerved to avoid a left-turning driver near 146th Street early Dec. 4, 2023, and passenger Sezero Gonzales, 62, died.
What We Know
Sezero Gonzales, 62, was riding as a passenger on a gas-powered scooter early Dec. 4, 2023, when the 25-year-old operator headed east on Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. Police told the Daily News the operator swerved right to avoid a driver turning left from 146th Street, lost control and crashed. Medics took both riders to Jamaica Hospital, where Gonzales died; the operator was listed in stable condition. The official crash record lists one motorist killed, one motorist injured and cites reaction to an uninvolved vehicle as a contributing factor.
The crash on Jamaica Avenue
The official record places the crash at Jamaica Avenue and 146th Street at 12:24 a.m. on Dec. 4, 2023. Police told the Daily News that the 25-year-old scooter operator was traveling east when he swerved right to avoid a driver turning left from 146th Street, lost control and crashed.
The official record lists one person killed and one person injured, both recorded as motorists.
Sezero Gonzales died after being thrown from the scooter
Police identified the passenger as Sezero Gonzales, 62, of Richmond Hill, according to the Daily News. The official record describes the person killed as a 62-year-old male passenger riding in the right rear or motorcycle sidecar passenger position.
Medics took Gonzales and the operator to Jamaica Hospital. Gonzales died there, while the operator was reported in stable condition.
Records describe the ride in different terms
The Daily News described the ride as a gas-powered scooter. The official vehicle record lists a 2023 Fly Wing moped with two occupants traveling east and going straight before the crash, while another official vehicle-type field describes it as a motorcycle.
The official vehicle record lists the driver license status for the operator as unlicensed.
Police and the official record point to an avoidance maneuver
Police told the Daily News the operator swerved to avoid a driver turning left from 146th Street. The official crash record lists reaction to an uninvolved vehicle as the contributing factor.
The Daily News reported that the driver the scooter operator was trying to avoid remained at the scene and had not been charged while police continued to investigate.
Where
Jamaica Ave & 146th St