Bronx rider dies in crash as family seeks answers
A 34-year-old rider, whom News 12 identified as Ceasr Alfonso, died after a crash recorded at Waring and Barker avenues in the Bronx at 9:22 p.m. on April 16, 2024; relatives later questioned what happened.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
News 12 identified the rider as Ceasr Alfonso, 34; El Diario rendered his first name as César. Police told News 12 no pursuit was connected to the crash, while El Diario reported officers briefly followed him before calling off the pursuit.
The accounts describe different collision sequences
Police told News 12 that Alfonso went through a red light, collided with an SUV and then a parked car. El Diario, citing a police source's account to the Daily News, reported that Alfonso collided with a Kia driven by a woman crossing Waring Avenue, lost control and then collided with a parked Honda Pilot.
The vehicle descriptions also differ. News 12 called Alfonso's vehicle a motorcycle, and the official collision summary lists a motorcycle; the detailed official vehicle entry and El Diario describe a moped. El Diario called it a 2018 gasoline-powered Yamaha moped. News 12 described the moving vehicle as an SUV and the parked vehicle as a car; the detailed official record classifies the Kia and Honda as station wagons or SUVs, while El Diario described the Kia as a car and identified the parked vehicle as a Honda Pilot. The official record describes the moped as northbound and the Kia as westbound.
His family sought answers
News 12 identified the rider as Ceasr Alfonso, 34; El Diario rendered his first name as César. His family described him to News 12 as calm and family-oriented and said he was a father of three. El Diario identified Roy Deleo as Alfonso's brother and reported that he said the family was still waiting to learn what happened and why.
Relatives told News 12 they saw no facial or bodily injuries they believed matched a motorcycle crash and noticed bruising on Alfonso's wrists, which they believed might have come from handcuffs. Police said Alfonso was not arrested at the scene.
Police accounts differ on a pursuit
The NYPD told News 12 that no police pursuit was connected to the fatal crash. El Diario, citing a police source's account to the Daily News, reported that officers tried to stop Alfonso and briefly followed him before calling off the pursuit. El Diario also reported that the NYPD was investigating the pursuit and crash and that the state attorney general's office would assist.
Police told News 12 that Alfonso was conscious and spoke with officers before he began to weaken. They suspected a medical episode but said they could not determine whether it happened before or after the crash. El Diario reported that officers performed chest compressions and medics took Alfonso to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died. News 12 reported his death after the crash but did not specify where he died.
Where
WARING AVENUE and BARKER AVENUE