A taxi driver was involved in a fatal Queens sidewalk crash.
A Night with Friends
A 23-year-old taxi driver collided with a 25-year-old Accord driver at Lefferts Boulevard and 115th Avenue in Queens at 3:11 a.m. Dec. 28, 2024; police said three pedestrians were struck after the taxi went onto the sidewalk, and 51-year-old Vidya Dookran-Franco died.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police said a 23-year-old taxi driver collided with a Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man at Lefferts Boulevard and 115th Avenue in South Ozone Park. The taxi went onto the sidewalk, where three pedestrians were struck, including Vidya Dookran-Franco, 51; two men, ages 44 and 49, were also injured. The New York Post, Daily News and Patch reported that Dookran-Franco died at Jamaica Hospital. The official crash record logs one pedestrian death and two pedestrian injuries at 3:11 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2024. Her sister told ABC7 that she was a substitute teacher who was very involved in her community.
A collision sent the taxi onto the sidewalk.
Police said a 23-year-old taxi driver collided with a Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man. The New York Post and Daily News reported that the taxi then went onto the sidewalk, where three pedestrians were struck, including Vidya Dookran-Franco, 51.
The official crash record places the collision at Lefferts Boulevard and 115th Avenue at 3:11 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2024, and records one pedestrian death and two pedestrian injuries. The Daily News reported the time as about 3:10 a.m.
The crash happened at a South Ozone Park intersection.
The crash occurred at Lefferts Boulevard and 115th Avenue in South Ozone Park, Queens. News reports place the initial collision at the intersection and describe the taxi going onto a nearby sidewalk, where three pedestrians were struck.
Her sister remembered a teacher active in her community.
ABC7 reported that Dookran-Franco's sister, Tanya, described her as a substitute teacher who was very involved in the community. Tanya said Dookran-Franco had left a nearby bar and was walking back to her car with friends when they were struck while standing on the sidewalk. “I want to know what happened,” Tanya told ABC7.
The New York Post identified Dookran-Franco as being from Merrick. The Post and Daily News reported that she died at Jamaica Hospital. The two men, ages 44 and 49, were also taken there; the Post reported minor injuries, while the Daily News said they were in stable condition.
News reports identified a Toyota RAV4 taxi and a Honda Accord.
The New York Post and Daily News described the taxi as a Toyota RAV4 and the other vehicle as a Honda Accord. They reported that the taxi driver was 23 and the Accord driver was 25; the official crash record classifies the vehicles as a taxi and a sedan.
Both drivers stayed at the scene as police investigated.
The Daily News reported that both drivers remained at the scene and that the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad was investigating. Patch reported on Dec. 30 that no arrests had been made and the investigation remained ongoing.