Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Tow Truck Driver Kills Ping Xie, 81, in Flushing

Kissena Boulevard at Holly Avenue in Queens, where a driver fatally struck 81-year-old Ping Xie. Image: Google Maps

A senior who was hit by a truck driver in Flushing last week has died from her injuries.

The crash occurred on March 9 at around 3 p.m. Ping Xie, 81, was crossing Kissena Boulevard at Holly Avenue, in a crosswalk with the signal, when Frederick Alsterberg hit her with a tow truck while turning left from westbound Holly onto Kissena, according to Gothamist and the Times Ledger.

Xie was transported to New York Presbyterian Hospital in critical condition. NYPD announced her death yesterday.

Police charged Alsterberg, 81, with a misdemeanor under the Right of Way Law and failure to exercise due care. He was also cited for a window tint violation.

The crash happened in the 109th Precinct, which in 2015 responded to a series of pedestrian deaths with a crackdown on walking. Xie was the second senior fatally struck by a driver in the 109th Precinct in 2017.

“My office is closely monitoring the situation and I am yet again calling on the Department of Transportation to work closely with the NYPD 109th Precinct and immediately assess the area to ensure safe roads for our seniors in Flushing,” Assembly Member Nily Rozic told the Times Ledger.

Motorists have killed at least 19 people walking on NYC surface streets this year. Of 17 victims whose ages were reported, 12 were 65 or over, according to crash data tracked by Streetsblog. Last week Transportation Alternatives called on the city to do more to protect seniors from reckless drivers.

Motorists injured 11 people walking at Kissena and Holly from 2010 through 2016, according to city crash data.

Ping Xie was killed in the City Council district represented by Peter Koo.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

West Siders: Better Bike Lanes, Not Bans, Will Make Central Park Safer

Central Park needs protected bike lanes at its perimeter and on its transverses to keep non-recreational users out.

January 14, 2026

Not So Fast: Advocates Aren’t Sold on Gov. Hochul’s AV Push

"There is no evidence that autonomous vehicles help us achieve our goals to make our state or city’s streets more people-centered," one group said.

January 14, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines: Hochul Has Her Say Edition

The "State of the State" is Mamdani — but Hochul is still the governor. Plus more news.

January 14, 2026

Opinion: Stop Asking If People Want to Ride Bikes

"We shouldn’t be aiming to nudge a few percentage points in public opinion. Our goal should be to make freedom of mobility so compelling that people demand it."

January 14, 2026

SCOUT’s Honor: Hochul To Expand MTA Program Pairing Nurses and Cops to Combat Mental Illness in Subways

Gov. Hochul's pitch to state lawmakers follows a nine month-long investigation by Streetsblog into how New York's social safety net struggles to help ill people in the subway.

January 13, 2026

Advance Look: Hochul Offers Major Transportation Policies in 2026 ‘State Of The State’ Speech

Why wait for the governor to start her annual address? We have the goods for you now.

January 13, 2026
See all posts