4 dead in NYC crashes after a night of traffic mayhem, 1 suspect still at large

Aug. 24, 2024, 10:40 a.m.

No arrests have been made.

Stock image of an NYPD cruiser

At least four people are dead after a night of traffic mayhem in New York City, including a wrong-way hit-and-run on the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Police said at around 2 a.m. Saturday, a pickup truck traveling south in a northbound lane on the parkway collided with a Dodge Challenger driven by a 40-year-old man with a 38-year-old male passenger. Both men in the Challenger were pronounced dead, according to the NYPD.

The pickup truck then struck an Audi and a Toyota SUV before the driver fled. The operators of the Audi and the Toyota did not sustain serious injuries, police said.

The deaths followed two other fatal crashes in Queens on Friday night, which police said occurred within hours of each other.

Shortly before 7 p.m. two men, 17 and 21, were headed east on a motorcycle near 73rd Avenue and 184th Street in Fresh Meadows when they struck a 75-year-old man in a 2017 Acura RDX, according to the NYPD.

The 17-year-old and 21-year-old were both rushed to the hospital, where the latter was pronounced dead, officials said. The driver did not sustain any injuries and remained on the scene.

The 17-year old remains in stable condition, the NYPD said on Saturday. They identified the deceased as Queens resident Juan Aguilar.

Hours later, at around 10:02 p.m., police said Maria Jean-Louise, a 45-year-old Elmont resident, was hit by a 72-year-old man driving a Kia Sorento near Exit 25 of the Cross Island Parkway in Queens.

The woman was rushed to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, and the driver remained on scene, according to the NYPD.

No arrests have been made in either collision, though investigations continue.

This story has been updated to reflect two additional deaths.

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