A 32-year-old man is clinging to life after he lost his grip on a van he was holding onto in a stunt that went horribly wrong in Forest Hills Sunday evening.
Police from the 112th Precinct responded to a 911 call just before 7:30 p.m. on July 31 regarding a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Metropolitan Avenue and 71st Avenue.
Upon arriving, officers found the man with severe head trauma lying on the roadway. EMS responded to the scene and rushed the man to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition, police said.
A preliminary investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that a gray Ford passenger van was traveling eastbound on Metropolitan Avenue, with the 32-year-old thrill-seeker riding on the outside of the van. As the vehicle entered the intersection and made the turn onto 71st Avenue, the hitcher became dislodged and was thrown to the pavement, smashing his head on the street. The van did not stop and continued to travel along 71st Avenue.
There are no arrests and police want to speak with the operator of the van as the investigation remains ongoing. The critically injured man remains hospitalized with skill fractures and internal bleeding, according to the NYPD.
