Volkswagen driver fled after hitting two riders, killing both.
A driver in a Volkswagen fled on foot after hitting two riders on 57th Avenue in Queens on May 19, 2024; the official record dates the crash to 8:20 a.m. and counts two people killed.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
A Volkswagen driver fled after hitting riders, but reports differ on the sequence: Gothamist said police described a center-line crossing after a failed curve, while the Queens Daily Eagle said the driver was turning onto 57th Avenue before crossing the line. The official record classifies the Volkswagen as a sedan and the riders' vehicle as a motorcycle; press accounts describe a Golf hatchback and call the riders' vehicle a motorcycle or moped.
Police accounts differ on the sequence.
Gothamist reported that police said the Volkswagen driver failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the center line and hit a motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction, ejecting its two riders. Gothamist said the driver continued with the motorcycle lodged at the Volkswagen's front, sideswiped two parked cars, then fled after the Volkswagen and one parked vehicle caught fire.
The Queens Daily Eagle described the driver as turning onto 57th Avenue before crossing the center line and hitting a moped. Audacy's description of video shows the moped moving down the street before impact; Audacy reported that the driver left on foot, briefly returned to the car, then ran off again.
Reports give different times and nearby landmarks.
The official record places the crash on 57th Avenue at 8:20 a.m. on May 19, 2024. Fox 5 also reports a morning crash on 57th Avenue in Elmhurst, while Audacy places it around 8:20 a.m. at 57th Street and 80th Street in Middle Village. Gothamist and the Queens Daily Eagle place it near 82nd Street in Elmhurst, at about 8:20 p.m.
The official record identifies two riders by age and role.
The official record identifies the two men as a 25-year-old motorcycle driver and a 24-year-old passenger on that motorcycle.
Audacy, Gothamist and the Queens Daily Eagle reported that one man was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died at Elmhurst hospital. Fox 5 reported that both were pronounced dead at the scene. ABC7 said one man was taken to a hospital and the other was pronounced dead at the scene.
Reports classify the vehicles differently.
The official record classifies the Volkswagen as a 2007 sedan and the riders' vehicle as a motorcycle. Gothamist and ABC7 describe a Volkswagen Golf hatchback; Gothamist calls the riders' vehicle a motorcycle, while Audacy, Fox 5, ABC7 and the Queens Daily Eagle call it a moped. The official record also lists a parked station wagon or SUV and a parked sedan; Gothamist reported that the Volkswagen and one parked vehicle caught fire.
Police accounts point to a curve and lane position.
The official record lists improper passing or lane usage as a contributing factor. ABC7 reported that police believed the driver was likely going too fast and taking the curve too wide.
The driver was still being sought in early reports.
ABC7 reported that police had recovered the Volkswagen and were working to identify the driver. Audacy and the Queens Daily Eagle reported that no arrests had been made at the time of their coverage.