BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
A 23-year-old Far Rockaway man was charged with driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene after hitting a young woman crossing the street earlier this month, prosecutors said.
Police said Denzel Watson was behind the wheel of a white 2013 Ford Mustang with black racing stripes eastbound on Seagirt Boulevard on Dec. 13 at 12:35 p.m. At the intersection of Seagirt Blvd. and Beach 19th Street, authorities said, Watson allegedly struck a 21-year-old female pedestrian who was crossing the street with family members.
When police arrived at the scene, it was reported, they found the victim unconscious and transported her to a Queens hospital to treat sustained injuries, including a fractured hip and femur, head injuries and facial fractures. Reportedly, she remains in critical condition.
At the scene, police also discovered what appeared to be pieces of a side rear view mirror on the ground.
Less than 30 minutes after the incident, the white Ford Mustang was allegedly stopped by police near the Queens/Nassau border. Prosecutors said the car appeared to have front end damage and was missing parts of the sideview mirror on the passenger side. Reportedly, Watson — who was behind the wheel — could not produce a valid driver’s license.
“The defendant is accused of striking a pedestrian and driving away immediately afterwards without exchanging information or checking to see if the victim needed medical assistance, thus leaving the critically injured victim and her family to fend for themselves,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. “The defendant, who is also charged with driving without a valid license, now faces serious charges.”
Watson was arraigned Tuesday on a two-count criminal complaint charging him with leaving the scene without reporting and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He faces up to four years behind bars if convicted.
