Driver and Two Men at Astoria Food Truck Die in Queens Crash
An 84-year-old driver in a Toyota was recorded in the city crash file at 8:36 a.m. at 42nd Street and 19th Avenue, and police later identified him as Andrei Coman in a crash that also killed Joaquin Venancio-Mendez and Santiago Baires near a food truck.
What We Know
An 84-year-old driver, later identified by QNS as Andrei Coman, was driving a 2010 Toyota Corolla near 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria on the morning of Aug. 12, 2025, when police said he hit two men near a food or coffee truck. The city crash record lists three deaths: two pedestrians and one motorist. Press accounts identified the pedestrians as Joaquin Venancio-Mendez, 41, also reported as Joaquin Venancio, and Santiago Baires, 70. Several reports said the driver was speeding and went through a stop sign; amNY, citing sources familiar with the case, reported he had suffered a stroke weeks earlier and may have had a medical episode. Accounts differ on the later vehicle movements, including how the Volvo driver was moving, and police said the investigation continued.
A morning stop at a food truck turned fatal
City crash records list the crash at 8:36 a.m. on Aug. 12, 2025, at 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Queens, with three people killed: two pedestrians and one motorist. Police and news accounts said the 84-year-old driver of a 2010 Toyota Corolla was traveling north on 42nd Street when he hit two men near a food or coffee truck.
Several accounts, citing police or surveillance video, said the driver was speeding and went through a stop sign before the collision. Afterward, the Toyota was reported to have been involved in additional collisions with a Volvo and parked vehicles; accounts differ on whether the Volvo driver was making a U-turn, exiting a driveway, or turning left.
The people who died
The two pedestrians were identified in press accounts as Joaquin Venancio-Mendez, 41, also reported as Joaquin Venancio, and Santiago Baires, 70. Family members described Venancio-Mendez as a father of two and manager at Astoria Discount Tire; relatives described Baires as a father of eight with 14 grandchildren.
QNS reported that the NYPD later identified the Toyota driver as Andrei Coman, 84, of Sunnyside Gardens. The city crash record lists an 84-year-old male driver among the people killed.
Reported vehicle details differ in part
The city crash record lists a 2010 Toyota sedan driven north, a parked 1995 Chevrolet SUV, a parked 2012 Volkswagen sedan and a 2025 Volvo SUV. QNS described the Chevrolet as a 1995 Chevrolet C/K3500 food truck, while several news reports called the business a food or coffee truck.
The Volvo is described differently across sources: city data lists a 2025 Volvo SUV making a left turn and traveling south, while several articles described a Volvo sedan or a driver attempting a U-turn.
Investigators examined speed and a possible medical episode
Witnesses and several news reports described the Toyota driver as moving at a high speed before the crash. ABC7 quoted a witness who estimated the driver was going more than 60 miles per hour and went through a stop sign, and Patch reported that police said the driver was speeding and drove past a stop sign.
amNY, citing sources familiar with the case, reported that Coman had suffered a stroke two weeks earlier, had been advised not to drive and may have suffered a medical emergency. Gothamist reported that the NYPD made no arrests as the investigation continued.
42nd Street had a recent record of harm
The crash happened at 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Queens. CrashCountNYC location context for 42nd Street in Queens shows 227 crashes, 86 injuries, 6 serious injuries and 4 deaths since 2022.
Families, witnesses and officials called attention to the danger
ABC7 reported that wreckage was cleared and a memorial formed that night. Relatives and the food-truck owner described the two pedestrians as familiar members of the area around nearby businesses.
Streetsblog reported that local elected officials posted statements after the crash and tied the deaths to broader street-safety concerns, including discussion of a 20 mph city speed limit.