Driver arrested after group of pedestrians struck in hit-and-run crash in Queens
JACKSON HEIGHTS, Queens (WABC) -- Police have arrested the driver who they say plowed a BMW into a group of pedestrians in Queens after fleeing from police.
The group of pedestrians was crossing 80th Street by Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights just before 2 a.m. Sunday. Seconds later, as the victims tried to get their bearings, the driver took off on foot down 80th Street, never pausing to see if the victims needed help.
The wild sequence of events stretches through three neighborhoods. It began in Astoria when police stopped a white BMW at the corner of 31st Ave and 44th Street, apparently for fraudulent plates.
A few blocks later, the same car was stopped in East Elmhurst. This time, authorities reported that the driver tried to escape. Officials insist there was no high-speed chase, but told Eyewitness News that the driver was erratic on the roads. The three pedestrians were then struck, with police cruisers arriving right after the accident.
Detectives report a 23-year-old man suffered a cut to his leg. A 28-year-old woman complained of back pain. Both are listed in stable condition.
The driver of the BMW was caught at the scene. Police say he was later arrested, identified as Fabrice Bayonne, 32, of Amityville.
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