By Anna Gustafson
One teenager was dead and another was in critical condition Thursday night after a car struck two pedestrians crossing Francis Lewis Boulevard in Whitestone, police said.
Officers responded to a 911 call at 17th Road and Francis Lewis Boulevard around 7:40 p.m. Thursday and found that two teens — Angela D’Ambrose, 15, of Whitestone, and an 18-year-old boy whose identity was not released — had been struck by a white Isuzu Rodeo driving northbound on Francis Lewis, police said.
The unconscious victims were brought to New York Hospital Queens in Flushing, where D’Ambrose was pronounced dead from her injuries, police said. The boy was in critical condition as of Thursday night, police said.
On Friday afternoon, a spokeswoman for New York Hospital Queens said the boy’s condition was “very grave.”
The vehicle, driven by a 65-year-old white male whose identity was not released, struck the teens as they were crossing Francis Lewis Boulevard at the intersection of 17th Road, police said.
D’Ambrose was a “darling girl” who had befriended many of her neighbors in the short time that she lived with her grandfather, Jim Mahoney, 64, in Whitestone, according to Mary Napolitano, who lived next door to D’Ambrose.
“My granddaughter Valentina just loved Angela,” Napolitano said Friday afternoon. “She was really beside herself when she heard. Angela was really wonderful.”
D’Ambrose, who had attended Bayside High School, moved to live with her grandfather a couple months ago after living with her mother in Manhattan, D’Ambrose’s great-uncle Bill Mahoney said. The teenager had “practically lived” at her grandfather’s Whitestone home while her grandmother, Susan Mahoney, was still alive. After her grandmother died about two years ago, Mahoney said D’Ambrose wanted to move in with her grandfather.
“My brother had given up his room for her, and they had just re-done it,” Mahoney said.
D’Ambrose was a “very quiet” girl who loved to dance, Mahoney said of his great-niece.
“She had her whole life in front of her,” he said.
Police said no criminality was suspected as of Thursday night and the investigation was ongoing.
Ian MacFarland contributed to this story.
Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e-mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 ext. 174.
