By James DeWeese
Shon Faruque, of 41-50 48th St., admitted he lost control of the 1996 Mazda Millenium he was at times driving at more than 100 miles per hour and slammed into a concrete highway divider along the eastbound side of the Grand Central Parkway near 62nd Road on Dec. 23, 2004. His friend, Mohammad Hoque, 20, was thrown from the back seat and killed. At the time of the crash – 4:24 a.m. – authorities contended that Faruque, who did not have a driver's license, had slowed to between 85 or 90 mph. The speed limit in the area is 50 mph. “The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived his right to appeal and acknowledged that his negligent actions while driving a vehicle caused the death of a passenger who was ejected through a rear window to his death,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement.Another passenger in the ill-fated car was not seriously injured.Faruque was scheduled to be sentenced March 9. Acting Queens County Supreme Court Justice Dorothy Chin-Brandt said she would likely impose a sentence of five months in jail and five years' probation.Faruque originally faced other charges of reckless manslaughter and driving without a license. If convicted of those, he could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in jail. Those charges were apparently dropped after Faruque agreed to a guilty plea.When Faruque was charged, his lawyer, Nathaniel Welkes, said it was possible that his client had not been in control of the car at the time of the accident.Faruque's friend Hoque, a 20-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant who dropped out of high school and took a part-time job at a restaurant, was remembered as a pleasant man with a tight-knit group of friends. He lived with his uncle and cousin in houses in Astoria and Jamaica for years before the accident.His family said Hoque's body was returned to Bangladesh, where his parents live.Reach reporter James DeWeese by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 157.
