By Sadef Ali Kully
One woman is dead and a 2-year-old girl remains in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital after being struck Tuesday night by a white SUV on a sidewalk in Richmond Hill, according to police.
Police said they responded to a call about several pedestrians struck at the corner of 108th Street and Atlantic Avenue at around 6 p.m. At the scene, police said they discovered a two-vehicle collision and three pedestrians who were struck.
NYPD’s preliminary investigation determined that a white SUV, driven by a 43-year-old female, was traveling on Atlantic Avenue when it disobeyed the red light at 108th Street. It struck a black Kia, driven by a 23-year-old female, that was crossing 108th Street.
The collision caused the SUV to mount the sidewalk where it struck 52-year-old Meena Mahabir from Richmond Hill, as well as an unidentified 48-year-old female and an unidentified 2-year-old female.
“I heard the accident. I was working when I heard a boom and then saw the cars,” said Anna Pineda, an employee at the Bubbles R Us Laundromat on Atlantic Avenue across from the accident site. “It was very scary.”
The drivers of both vehicles and all the pedestrians were transported to Jamaica Hospital where Mahabir was announced dead and the 2-year-old girl remains in critical, but stable condition.
According to police officials, the 48-year-old and the two drivers are listed in stable condition.
Traffic heading westbound was blocked from 106th Street to 111th Street on Atlantic Avenue until both vehicles were cleared and towed from the scene.
A passing couple, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they were not surprised. “I walk my son, a seventh grader, to the Q24 bus everyday—you have to see the way these cars turn into a street. These drivers race across even after the speed limit changed. They drive drunk. They don’t care. It is horrendous,” the wife said.
Police said the investigation is ongoing by the New York City Police Department’s Collision Investigation Squad.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
