A Brooklyn man faces up to 25 years in prison for the hit-and-run collision that injured three pedestrians, including a toddler and her mother, in Ridgewood while attempting to elude the NYPD on Wednesday, Aug. 10, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
Tyshawn Baldwin, 28 was arraigned Aug. 17 before Queens Criminal Court Judge Scott Dunn in a 17-count complaint charging him with assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful fleeing of police officers and other crimes.
According to the complaint, Baldwin, of Classon Avenue in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, was behind the wheel of a tricked-out 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat with a loud exhaust and dark rear tinted windows at the intersection on Wyckoff Avenue and Decatur Street at around 5 p.m.
Police from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood observed Baldwin as he drove to the busy commercial intersection of Wyckoff Avenue and George Street and parked the vehicle. At this point, the officer activated their police lights and ordered the defendant to get back in the car. Baldwin compiled and handed over his driver’s license and registration to the officers.
According to the complaint, after running a computer check, the patrol officers determined that Baldwin’s license was suspended on Aug. 3, 2021, and subsequently ordered him to step out of the vehicle. The defendant allegedly started the vehicle, revved the engine, refused numerous commands to stop, and hit the gas driving the Dodge Durango “at a high rate of speed” away from the intersection, striking three pedestrians, a 28-year-old mother who was pushing her 2-year-old daughter in a stroller and a 35-year-old man who was making a delivery to a nearby business.
EMS responded to the scene and transported the three victims to Wyckoff Hospital, where the mother was treated for a knee injury and her daughter was treated for a wrist injury. The third victim sustained a leg injury.
“The complete disregard for public safety, in this case, is shameful,” Katz said. “As alleged, the defendant was operating a vehicle with a suspended license when he struck and injured three pedestrians, including a young child — all while callously fleeing a traffic stop. Driving is a privilege, and every single person who gets behind the wheel of a car bears an individual responsibility to drive safely. The defendant now faces very serious charges.”
Judge Dunn ordered Baldwin to return to court on Aug. 19. If convicted Baldwin faces up to 25 years in prison.
