The victim, Shankar Bharrat of 118th Street, was taken to Jamaica Hospital’s…
By Jennifer Warren
A motorist intentionally ran his car into an Ozone Park man after an argument over a parking space last Thursday evening on Union Turnpike near Kew Forest Lane, police said.
The victim, Shankar Bharrat of 118th Street, was taken to Jamaica Hospital’s trauma room where he was treated for a broken tibia of the left leg, said Michael Hink, a hospital spokesman. The patient was listed in stable condition as of Wednesday.
Bharrat underwent surgery on the day of the accident with steel rods placed in both of his legs, said Bharrat’s wife, Diwantee Bharrat. He may need additional bone graft surgery in the coming days, she said.
The driver, whom police described as 5-foot-8 and weighing about 260 pounds, argued with Bharrat over the parking spot, got into his car and ran the vehicle into him before fleeing the scene, said Detective Madelyne Galindo, a police spokeswoman.
There was one witness at the scene, but no one was able to identify the driver or his license plate, said Diwantee Bharrat.
“I hope somebody comes forward, because when that happened, I’m sure there must have been other people on the street,” she said.
Diwantee Bharrat said her husband was able to recognize M25 or M35 on the plate before the car sped away.
The car was identified as a dark blue 1998 Toyota Celica with out-of-state license plates, Diwantee said.
If found, the driver is expected to face felony charges of vehicular assault and could face up to seven years in prison if convicted.
The case was under investigation as of press time.
Reach reporter Jennifer Warren by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 155.
