A sleep-deprived driver has been arrested for fleeing the scene of an accident after he allegedly mowed down and killed a pedestrian in Flushing, police said.
Shiwoo Lee, 22, of Oakland Gardens, told authorities he fell asleep behind the wheel on Saturday, October 20 around 6 a.m. when his 2007 Toyota Rav 4 veered off the road and struck a tree at the intersection of 164th Street and Booth Memorial Avenue, according to a criminal complaint. The vehicle also struck Vito Florio, 76, when it jumped the curb, cops said.
Florio, whose body was found lying in a wooded area with severe body trauma, was declared dead on arrival, according to police.
Lee told cops he had been awake for two days straight and was on his way back from Manhattan, driving four other passengers, when he began nodding off, according to a criminal complaint.
The group exited the vehicle and fled on foot after the collision, said authorities, who found blood on the hood and a broken headlight off Lee’s car.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
