Driver charged after longtime friend dies in Midtown Tesla crash
Alejandra Paharsingh drove a Tesla onto a Midtown sidewalk early on September 9, 2026, in a crash that killed her passenger and longtime friend Elise Suomi, police told the Daily News.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Approximate reported location.
What We Know
Alejandra Paharsingh was driving east on East 42nd Street around 2:45 a.m. on September 9, 2026, when she drove a Tesla onto the sidewalk between Madison and Park avenues, police told the Daily News. She hit scaffolding, a mailbox and a bus stop, then continued to Second Avenue. Her passenger, Elise Suomi, died after being taken to Bellevue Hospital with a severe head injury. Suomi was Paharsingh's longtime friend and the mother of a 3-month-old daughter. Police said Paharsingh's breathalyzer reading was 0.229%. She was charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving while ability impaired and leaving the scene of an accident.
The drive and the fatal injury
Police told the Daily News that Paharsingh was driving east on East 42nd Street around 2:45 a.m. when she drove onto the sidewalk, hit scaffolding, a mailbox and a bus stop, and continued east until stopping at Second Avenue. Suomi, her passenger, was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a severe head injury and died. Paharsingh survived with minor injuries.
East 42nd Street in Midtown
The crash began near East 42nd Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Police placed the sidewalk impact between Madison and Park avenues, where the driver hit scaffolding and objects at a bus stop before continuing toward Second Avenue.
Elise Suomi's family and plans
Suomi, 27, lived in Harlem and had a 3-month-old daughter, her sister Jasmine Ortiz told the Daily News. She worked as a home health aide and attended Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences, hoping to become a certified nursing assistant. Her brother Angel said the siblings grew up in shelters and remembered her determination: "She was very motivated to beat the odds." Ortiz said Suomi and Paharsingh had been friends since high school.
Charges and unanswered questions
Police said Paharsingh's breathalyzer reading was 0.229% and that she faced charges of vehicular manslaughter, driving while ability impaired and leaving the scene of an accident. Ortiz questioned why Paharsingh continued driving instead of stopping to seek help for Suomi.