16-year-old bicyclist struck in NYC hit and run dies, driver sought

Thursday, June 10, 2021
QUEENS, New York City (WABC) -- A 16-year-old bicyclist who was struck by a hit and run vehicle in Queens Friday has died, and authorities are searching for the driver who fled the scene.

It happened on College Point Boulevard near 18th Avenue around 9:30 p.m., where authorities say a 2019 Toyota Camry crossed a double yellow line to pass another vehicle.
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He struck the victim, Darwin Durazno, head on, before turning onto 15th Avenue without stopping.

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Durazno, who was with a friend getting a haircut, was found in the roadway with severe head trauma.

EMS rushed him to NYC Health & Hospitals/Jacobi, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday, June 7.

The Toyota, a rental car, has since been recovered, but the driver has not been located.

There are no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Durazno immigrated from Ecuador a few years ago. and he was going to high school in Long Island City.

His stepdad say he was a happy kid looking for summer work, and the family is still in disbelief.



A GoFundMe page has been started in Durazno's name that has raised more than $6,000 so far to help cover the family's expenses.
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Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

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