Driver charged after passenger dies in Queens park crash
Yersson Diaz hit a light pole near Meridian Road and Pacific Avenue in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on July 4, 2024, and his front-seat passenger, Jose Maza, 52, died four days later, police said.
Approximate reported location.
What We Know
Police said Yersson Diaz was driving west on Meridian Road in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on July 4, 2024, when he hit a light pole near Pacific Avenue. The pole fell onto the vehicle, severely injuring front-seat passenger Jose Maza, 52. Maza died at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital on July 8. Police said Diaz left the scene. A Queens grand jury later indicted him, and police charged him with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. The city crash record lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor but does not identify who had been drinking.
The crash
Police said Diaz was driving west on Meridian Road when he failed to navigate the road and hit a light pole. The pole fell onto the vehicle, severely injuring Maza in the front passenger seat. Emergency responders took Maza to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he died on July 8.
Near the New York State Pavilion
The crash happened on Meridian Road near Pacific Avenue in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, just south of the New York State Pavilion. Maza lived on 39th Avenue in Corona, about four blocks west of the park.
How the vehicle was described
The city crash record classifies the 2008 vehicle as a sedan. Police identified it as a 2008 Mini Cooper, according to the Queens news report.
What investigators recorded
The city crash record lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor but does not identify who had been drinking. Police said Diaz failed to navigate the road before hitting the pole.
A charge months later
Police said Diaz left the crash scene. A Queens grand jury later indicted him, and police took him into custody in December 2024. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. At his arraignment, a judge set bail at $10,000 cash or a $30,000 bond.