Driver killed, off-duty firefighter charged following crash in East Elmhurst
EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) -- One driver was killed and another was arrested and charged following a car crash in Queens on Wednesday morning.
Police say it happened on Northern Boulevard between 107th Street and 108th Street in East Elmhurst around 4:15 a.m.
A 23-year-old man was driving a 2022 BMW northbound on 107th Street when there was a crash with a 2015 Mercedes driven by a 28-year-old man, an off-duty firefighter, according to the FDNY.
It appears the driver of the Mercedes blew a red light and t-boned the BMW at a high rate of speed, sending it flying into a parked car.
"Overnight, it's kind of a lot of people speed because there's not much police interaction, so a lot of people go on the boulevard - it's kind of empty," said witness Elizah Medina.
The driver of the Mercedes then got out of the car and walked over to assess the damage.
Seconds later, others call out to see if the driver of the BMW is OK, but there was no response. The driver's hazards were left blinking.
The 23-year-old, identified as Justin Diaz, was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital.
The crash happened right in front of Ada Delfin's flower shop, New York Flowers.
She spoke with the victim's brother who showed up to the scene.
"After he crossed the street, he found a cap of the brother in the place that the accident happened," Delfin said "Yeah, she showed me. He said, 'I got it.' You're not supposed to be under that much speed to cause that much calamity."
A calamity it was. The BMW's roof was ripped off. The driver's side door was crushed by the collision.
Delfin says she's donating flowers for the victim's funeral.
"When I saw the video, it's so sad," she said. "I think how the family feels. You never think when you go out into the world or something- something will happen to you right? Really, really sad."
On Wednesday night at the scene of the crash, a group of friends of the victims stood staring at an array of candles arranged in the shape of a "J" as they mourned Diaz.
Diaz was a much-loved ramp agent at Delta Air Lines' LaGuardia hub, just two blocks away. Friends say he had been on his way in early Wednesday morning to assist with de-icing planes which had sat on the ground overnight. Diaz was supposed to be off work, but was called in.
As for the people in the other vehicle, the front passenger and rear passenger in the Mercedes, both 28, were taken to the hospital where they are said to be stable.
The driver of the Mercedes, an off-duty firefighter who worked in Queens at Engine 304, was taken into police custody, and later charged with vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and refusal to take a breathalyzer.
The FDNY says he has been suspended without pay for 28 days.
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