A tragic accident in South Ozone Park, Queens, occurred early Saturday morning when a yellow cab veered onto a sidewalk, resulting in the death of a 51-year-old woman. The incident took place around 3:10 a.m. at the intersection of 115th Avenue and Lefferts Boulevard.
According to police reports, a 23-year-old taxi driver operating a Toyota RAV4 cab collided with a Honda Accord driven by a 25-year-old man. The impact of the collision caused the cab to careen onto the sidewalk, where it struck three pedestrians: Vidya Dookran-Franco, age 51, and two men aged 49 and 44. Emergency services were immediately dispatched to the scene.
All three victims were transported to Jamaica Hospital. Unfortunately, Dookran-Franco succumbed to her injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital, while the two male pedestrians were reported to be in stable condition. At the time of the incident, both drivers remained at the scene to cooperate with law enforcement. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues.
The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad has taken over the investigation to determine the circumstances leading up to the crash. Witnesses reported seeing the taxi approached the intersection at a high speed before the collision occurred. The investigation is expected to look into traffic signals, potential mechanical failures, and other factors that may have contributed to the accident.
Source: Website
