Teen fatally struck by car at Queens bus stop after driver was sleeping at the wheel: police

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Teen fatally struck by car at Queens bus stop
The driver who struck and killed a teen waiting at a Queens bus stop on Saturday had fallen asleep at the wheel.

ROCKAWAY PARK, Queens (WABC) -- A teen waiting at a Queens bus stop was fatally struck on Saturday by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel.

Police say Ava Conklin, 19, was standing at a bus stop at the intersection of Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 108 Street when she was struck by a white SUV.

EMTs transported her to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Officers say the 29-year-old driver of that 2021 Hyundai Venue had been sleeping behind the wheel.

The vehicle was traveling westbound on Rockaway Beach Boulevard when the driver fell asleep, mounting the sidewalk and striking the victim along with three metal benches.

The driver remained on the scene and was taken into custody for questioning. He was later released.

No arrests have been made as of yet.

An investigation remains ongoing.

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