Driver Turning Left Kills 8-Year-Old Crossing in East Elmhurst
A 52-year-old driver making a left turn at 31 Avenue and 100 Street hit two brothers who were crossing with the signal, killing an 8-year-old boy and injuring his 10-year-old brother, according to police and the official crash record.
What We Know
According to the police report, a man driving a pickup truck turned left from 31st Avenue onto 100th Street in Queens around 4:15 p.m. An 8-year-old boy was crossing in the intersection with the pedestrian signal when the driver hit him. The report says the child suffered crush injuries to his entire body and died at the scene. Police recorded Failure to Yield Right-of-Way and Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. The pickup was classified as an oversized vehicle.
A left turn through a crosswalk
The official record places the fatal crash at 4:15 p.m. on March 13, 2024, at 31 Avenue and 100 Street in Queens. It records one pedestrian killed and one pedestrian injured.
Police told the New York Post that the brothers were in the crosswalk with their mother when a 52-year-old driver in a black 2005 Nissan Titan made a left turn as the light turned green and hit them. NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera said the driver failed to yield.
Two children were in the crosswalk with their mother
The official record identifies the child who died as an 8-year-old boy who was crossing with the signal at the intersection. Police said his 10-year-old brother was injured and taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital in stable condition with a wrist injury.
Police told the New York Post that the boys’ 37-year-old mother narrowly avoided being hit. A witness who knew the mother described hearing her scream and trying to comfort the injured older child and his mother.
Police described the driver and pickup
The official record lists the driver’s vehicle as a pickup truck and records the driver’s pre-crash movement as making a left turn. The vehicle record lists a licensed male driver with one occupant.
The New York Post, citing police, described the driver as a 52-year-old man in a black 2005 Nissan Titan.
Failure to yield was recorded as a factor
The official crash record lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor. The vehicle record also lists driver inattention or distraction.
Rivera called the crash avoidable and urged drivers making turns, especially left turns, to yield to pedestrians and make sure the crosswalk is clear before completing the turn.
A fatal corner on a high-crash Queens avenue
The crash was recorded at 31 Avenue and 100 Street in Queens, near the East Elmhurst location described by police.
CrashCountNYC’s street-level context for 31st Avenue in Queens shows 799 crashes, 527 injuries, 25 serious injuries and 3 deaths from 2022 through June 1, 2026.
The driver remained and was taken into custody
Rivera said the driver remained at the scene and was taken into custody. The New York Post reported that charges were pending Wednesday night.