Accident Claims Life Off Of Grand Avenue

An intersection in Maspeth that civic groups have long deemed dangerous claimed another life last Friday, renewing calls for a traffic study by the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the crossing of 69th Street, the Long Island Expressway service road and Grand Avenue.
Daniela DAngelo, 17, was struck and killed when a Mazda driven by 27-year-old Dennis Fletcher of Astoria was turning from 69th Street into the westbound service road. Fletcher had reportedly lost control of his car and was subsequently arrested for driving without a license.
DAngelo was a senior honors student at Christ the King High School in Middle Village and was on her way home from school when the accident occurred. The school shuttled her classmates to a funeral mass on Tuesday at St. Matthias Church in Ridgewood.
According to Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Valley Civic Association, the area on and around Grand Avenue has claimed seven lives in 14 months, with drivers running lights, speeding and making illegal turns. He said his group has been asking DOT to take action on the matter for 10 years. DOT could not be reached as of press time.