Driver charged after two pedestrians killed on Third Avenue
City crash records say two pedestrians crossing with the signal were killed at Third Avenue and 52nd Street; police charged Juventino Anastacio Florentino after a hit-and-run in a BMW.
What We Know
Kex Un Chen, 80, and Faqiu Lin, 59, were killed before dawn on July 11, 2025, while crossing Third Avenue at 52nd Street in Sunset Park. City crash records list both men as pedestrians crossing with the signal at the intersection and cite traffic-control disregard for the crash; the sedan record also lists unsafe speed. Police and prosecutors identified the driver as Juventino Anastacio Florentino, 23, and said he left the scene after hitting the men while driving south on Third Avenue in a BMW. News accounts said investigators used surveillance video, license-plate readers, and pieces left at the scene to find him in Staten Island. Florentino was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene, reckless driving, reckless endangerment, and red-light and speed-related offenses. Reporting differed on the crosswalk signal: CBS said video showed the men had the-w–
Two men were killed before dawn in Sunset Park
The crash happened at about 4:22 a.m. on July 11, 2025, at Third Avenue and 52nd Street in Brooklyn. City records say two male pedestrians, ages 80 and 59, were killed at the intersection while crossing with the signal.
Police identified the men as Kex Un Chen, 80, and Faqiu Lin, 59. Officers and EMS found both men at the scene, and both were pronounced dead there.
Third Avenue is a heavily traveled crash corridor
The collision happened at 3rd Avenue and 52nd Street in Brooklyn, on the Third Avenue corridor through Sunset Park.
CrashCountNYC location data for Third Avenue in Brooklyn shows 2,163 crashes, 1,457 injuries, 82 serious injuries, and 10 deaths since 2022.
The victims were older New Yorkers crossing the avenue
ABC7 reported that one victim was pulling a grocery cart and the other walked with a cane before the crash. City Harvest said the men may have been on their way to its Mobile Market, and a resident described long early-morning lines for the food pantry.
The Daily News reported that Chen immigrated to New York City from Fujian, China, in 2016 to be with his family. His son Qin Xiao Chen described him as selfless and said, “We’re very heartbroken.”
Police and records point to speed and a disregarded signal
The city crash record lists traffic-control disregard as a contributing factor, and the sedan record lists both traffic-control disregard and unsafe speed. Police told multiple outlets the driver was traveling south on Third Avenue before hitting the men and leaving the scene.
Published accounts disagree on the pedestrian signal. City crash records and CBS reported that the men had the signal or right of way; Streetsblog reported that surveillance footage showed them entering against the light before it changed as they reached the middle of the street.
Investigators found the driver in Staten Island
Police arrested Juventino Anastacio Florentino, 23, later that morning at his Staten Island home. ABC7 reported that police tracked the 2011 BMW 3 Series sedan using surveillance video and pieces left at the scene.
Prosecutors said Florentino was held on $100,000 bail after arraignment. The Daily News reported that prosecutors said police smelled alcohol when he was arrested, that a breath test showed 0.06% blood alcohol content, and that his attorney noted he was not facing drunk-driving charges.