Royal Waste Driver Fatally Hits 19-Year-Old in Woodside
The city crash record logged one pedestrian killed at Roosevelt Avenue and 62nd Street late March 29, and police later identified the victim as 19-year-old Nishath Jannath and the Royal Waste driver as Mayra Cruz, who was charged in June.
What We Know
Official crash records show one pedestrian, a 19-year-old woman, killed just before midnight on March 29 at Roosevelt Avenue and 62nd Street in Queens; the involved dump truck was listed as traveling north and going straight ahead. Police accounts cited by outlets said a Royal Waste private sanitation truck driver killed Nishath Jannath as she crossed 62nd Street. Those accounts described a turn in a crosswalk, while official crash records place the pedestrian away from an intersection. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and qns.com later reported that police identified the driver as Mayra Cruz and arrested her.
A late-night turn at Roosevelt Avenue
The crash happened around 11:55 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Roosevelt Avenue and 62nd Street in Queens. The city record says one pedestrian was killed; several press reports said the driver remained at the scene and was treated for minor injuries.
Police told reporters that Nishath Jannath was crossing 62nd Street when a Royal Waste Services driver turned from Roosevelt Avenue and hit her. Emergency medical workers pronounced her dead at the scene.
Accounts differ on the turn and crosswalk details
The New York Post reported that the driver had been traveling west on Roosevelt Avenue before turning right onto northbound 62nd Street, while qns.com reported that the driver was turning northbound from the eastbound lane of Roosevelt Avenue. The city crash record listed the pedestrian as not at an intersection, while police accounts cited in multiple articles placed Jannath in the crosswalk.
Roosevelt Avenue had a deep crash history
The fatal crash was recorded at Roosevelt Avenue and 62nd Street in Queens. CrashCountNYC's street context for Roosevelt Avenue in Queens shows 1,834 crashes, 1,043 injuries, 58 serious injuries and 7 deaths since 2022.
Nishath Jannath was close to home
Police and family accounts identified the victim as Nishath Jannath, 19, of Woodside. Gothamist reported she lived about a 10-minute walk from the intersection; the Daily News reported she died about a half-mile from home.
Family members told reporters that Jannath was coming home from work, and the Daily News later reported that she had stopped to buy a birthday cake for her little sister. Friends and relatives gathered at Baitul Jannah Masjid for her funeral and described her as a hardworking, caring City College student who supported her family.
Police later arrested the driver
The New York Post reported that Royal Waste's parent company, Waste Connections, said Royal Waste was cooperating with the NYPD investigation and extended condolences to Jannath's family and loved ones.