Driver Charged After Pasqual Taiquin Dies in Brooklyn Hit-and-Run
Police arrested 21-year-old driver Christian Gonzalez after a hit-and-run at 72nd Street and New Utrecht Avenue, where the official record says a sedan driver failed to yield in a 3:20 a.m. crash in which pedestrian Pasqual Taiquin was killed.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
At about 3:20 a.m. on June 22, 2025, a driver in a sedan hit 42-year-old pedestrian Pasqual Taiquin at 72nd Street and New Utrecht Avenue in Brooklyn. The official crash record lists failure to yield by the sedan driver, and the Daily News reported that Taiquin was walking with his son when he was hit. Police later arrested 21-year-old Christian Gonzalez about seven blocks away, according to the article. Taiquin was taken to Maimonides Medical Center and died eight days later. Gonzalez was charged with leaving the scene of an accident and improper or unsafe turns or lane changes without using a signal.
A predawn hit-and-run in Brooklyn
The crash was recorded at 3:20 a.m. on June 22, 2025, at 72nd Street and New Utrecht Avenue. The official record describes one pedestrian killed and no other reported injuries.
The Daily News reported that 42-year-old Pasqual Taiquin was walking with his 22-year-old son, Henry Taiquin, when a 21-year-old driver hit him. The article said Henry was a step or two ahead and witnessed the crash.
The crash location
The official record places the crash at 72nd Street and New Utrecht Avenue in Brooklyn’s 11228 ZIP code. The Daily News described the area as Bensonhurst.
The driver and sedan described in the records
The official vehicle entry describes a 2021 Dodge sedan traveling east and going straight ahead before the crash, with damage recorded at the center front end. The Daily News described the driver’s car as a red Dodge Charger.
The article identified the driver as 21-year-old Christian Gonzalez and reported that police arrested him about seven blocks from the crash scene.
Pasqual Taiquin died after eight days on life support
Taiquin suffered a massive head injury and was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, the Daily News reported. The article said he was placed on life support and died eight days after the crash without regaining consciousness.
The Daily News identified Taiquin as a Brooklyn restaurant worker and reported that his son kept vigil at his bedside.
Police and prosecutors cited leaving the scene
The official crash record lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor, and the sedan’s vehicle entry also lists driver inattention or distraction.
The Daily News reported that Gonzalez was charged with leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it and improper or unsafe turns or lane changes without using a signal. The article said he was released after arraignment and that upgraded charges were expected after Taiquin died.