Driver Charged After Edward Luyo Is Killed in Elmhurst Hit-Run
A westbound sedan driver hit and killed 44-year-old pedestrian Edward Luyo on Whitney Avenue at 4:34 p.m. on March 31, 2026, and the Daily News reported that police arrested Jose Dilone Duran after a witness got the plate.
What We Know
Official crash records say a westbound male driver in a 2015 sedan was going straight on Whitney Avenue around half past 4 PM on March 31, 2026, when he killed 44-year-old pedestrian Edward Luyo, who was crossing outside an intersection and crosswalk; records list driver inattention or distraction and pedestrian error or confusion. The Daily News, citing police, placed the crash near Macnish Street in Elmhurst, said the driver continued west, and said medics took Luyo to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died. The Daily News reported that police arrested accused driver Jose Dilone Duran, 53, about three hours later on leaving-the-scene and due-care charges; a co-worker witness described the driver as going fast and said Luyo was dragged.
A midblock crossing turned fatal on Whitney Avenue
The city crash record says a westbound sedan driver was going straight ahead on Whitney Avenue at 4:34 p.m. when a 44-year-old male pedestrian was killed. The record places the pedestrian away from an intersection and describes him as crossing without a signal or crosswalk.
The Daily News identified the pedestrian as Edward Luyo and reported that he was struck midblock near Macnish Street. A co-worker who was walking with him told the paper that the driver dragged Luyo about half a block before leaving the scene.
The collision happened steps from Luyo's Elmhurst home
The official record lists the crash on Whitney Avenue in Queens. The Daily News placed it midblock near Macnish Street in Elmhurst and reported that Luyo was just steps from his home, walking toward the train on his way to a Manhattan job site.
Edward Luyo was on his way to work
The Daily News reported that Luyo owned a concrete flooring company with his brother and was headed to a Manhattan job site with a co-worker when he was hit. His girlfriend, Violet Cannistraci, told the paper she missed a call from him shortly before the crash because her phone was on silent.
Cannistraci said she learned from Luyo's mother that he had been in a serious crash and could not reach him afterward. "We don't know how we can continue with our lives without him," she told the Daily News.
Police linked the case to a gray 2015 Nissan Versa
The official record lists one sedan, a 2015 Nissan, with a male licensed driver and center-front damage. The Daily News described the sedan as a gray 2015 Nissan Versa and reported that the driver left westbound on Whitney Avenue after the impact.
Records cited inattention; a witness described speed
The city crash record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor for the sedan driver. It also lists pedestrian error or confusion for Luyo and describes him as crossing away from an intersection.
The Daily News reported a different on-scene account from Luyo's co-worker, who said the driver was going fast and that speed was part of why Luyo was dragged.
A plate number led to an arrest, the Daily News reported
Medics took Luyo to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died, according to the Daily News. The co-worker told the paper that the driver stopped long enough for him to get a plate number, which he shared with police.
The Daily News reported that police arrested Jose Dilone Duran, 53, about three hours after the crash and charged him with leaving the scene of an accident and failure to exercise due care.