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

Police Hunt Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed Pedestrian in Queens

The intersection is typically a free-for-all. Photo: Google

The driver of an SUV struck and killed a Queens pedestrian on Tuesday afternoon, then did a U-turn and left his victim for dead, police said.

The driver was heading southbound on College Point Boulevard just outside of Flushing Meadows Park at around 2 p.m. when he or she struck Justin Leiva, 29, as he attempted to cross the busy six-lane road near the intersection of Booth Memorial Avenue, police said.

The area is a notorious speedway — likely even more so now, given the epidemic of reckless driving unleashed by nearly empty road conditions during the coronavirus crisis — and the intersection in question also features an entrance ramp to the northbound Van Wyck Expressway, another notorious stretch of road.

After hitting the pedestrian, the driver made a U-turn and headed north on College Point Boulevard. He or she was long gone by the time police arrived, according to the NYPD.

Danger stalks that portion of Flushing. In 2019, on just the five blocks of College Point Boulevard between Booth Memorial Avenue and the Long Island Expressway, there were 57 crashes, injuring one pedestrian and 18 motorists. Between January, 2016 and December, 2019, there were 203 crashes, injuring two cyclists, two pedestrians and 51 motorists.

The dramatic reduction in car travel during the pandemic has had one upside: Leiva is just the third pedestrian killed on city streets between March 2 and April 12, according to the Department of Transportation. In a typical year, 10 to 17 pedestrians are struck in just those five weeks.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Brooklyn Judge Once Again Declines to Rip Up Bedford Ave. Protected Bike Lane… For Now

Well-connected lawyer Frank Seddio argued against the Bedford Avenue protected bike lane in court on Tuesday.

Money for Something: Funding OK’d, But Details Missing For ‘Dept. Of Sustainable Delivery’

The mayor got the Council to sign off on $6.1 million for the long-awaited “Department of Sustainable Delivery." But what's it mean? No one is talking.

July 1, 2025

Incoming Albany Mayor Could Help Safe Streets Movement Statewide

The state capital is built for the car and that is how it is experienced by our lawmakers. But could that change under a new mayor? Here's hoping.

July 1, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Another Child Sacrificed to the SUV Edition

Stop de kindermoord! An 8-year-old boy killed by an SUV driver is the latest victim of America's obsession with big cars. Plus other news.

July 1, 2025

DOT Testimony: Removing Bedford Ave. Bike Lane Will ‘Reduce Safety’

"Removing the protected bike lane won’t remove cyclists — it will only make the street less safe," the DOT said. "The city risks legal liability for knowingly reducing safety on a Vision Zero priority corridor."

June 30, 2025

Hochul Signs Speed Camera Reauthorization, Enforcement Continues Through 2030

Stating a clear fact that scores of state legislators reject, Hochul said, "Speed cameras save lives and keep New Yorkers safe."

June 30, 2025
See all posts