Driver charged after teen killed in Queens crosswalk hit-and-run

The turn at the crosswalk

The city crash record places the crash at 47th Avenue and 46th Street at 3:26 p.m. and records one pedestrian killed and one pedestrian injured. It lists the driver as making a left turn and records view obstruction or limited view as a contributing factor.

Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Boubacar Barry traveling west on 47th Avenue before turning left onto 46th Street as the sisters approached the crosswalk. The district attorney said Barry was looking toward the rear driver’s side of the truck instead of straight ahead, then continued southbound after running over the girls.

Early press accounts disagreed on the turn direction: Gothamist’s first report, citing police, said the driver made a right turn, while the later district attorney account and the city crash record describe a left turn.

Jael Zhinin died at the scene; her younger sister was hospitalized

Officials identified the girl killed as 16-year-old Jael Zhinin. The district attorney said she suffered severe head and torso trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials identified the injured child as 8-year-old Leslie Zhinin. Gothamist reported in July that she sustained serious injuries and was still receiving care. The New York Post reported she was taken to Cornell Medical Center in critical condition with leg injuries.

The New York Post, citing sources, reported that the crash happened outside IS 125, where Leslie was a student, and quoted a teenage witness describing the family’s anguish at the intersection.

Reports described a delivery truck; the city record used a broader vehicle category

Police and prosecutors described Barry as driving a water delivery truck, and early coverage identified it as a white Ready Refresh delivery truck. The city crash record lists a 2016 Ford truck or bus in a carry-all category, with one licensed male driver and no motorist injuries recorded.

Barry was indicted after the hit-and-run

The Queens district attorney said Barry was indicted on 11 counts, including criminally negligent homicide, two counts of leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, assault in the third degree, failure-to-yield counts and due-care counts. Gothamist reported that Barry could face up to seven years in prison.

Accounts differed on Barry’s age: Gothamist, citing the district attorney, reported he was 28, while the New York Post, citing police, reported he was 29.