A Maryland man accused of driving the wrong-way down the Van Wyck Expressway while intoxicated and hitting a van filled with teenagers has been charged with reckless endangerment and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, announced Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
The incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning near Northern Boulevard. During that time, 34-year-old Jose Chimbo, of Baltimore, allegedly drove his 2004 Nissan Murano head on into a van with 13 teenage passengers who were being driven home from a party.
At the scene, Chimbo allegedly told officers that he had a few drinks.
According to a family member of one of the teen passengers, one of the teenage girls was seriously injured and required surgery. She broke the bones surrounding her eyes and her arm, and suffered a concussion and bleeding in her skull, he said. A parent who was also a passenger in the van suffered broken ribs.
“All of the kids sustained injuries in one form or another and many are now dealing with the emotional fallout of being involved,” said the family member.
Chimbo remains hospitalized with a broken leg and other injuries.
He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
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