A Middle Village senior was struck and killed by an MTA bus in what officials say was a freak accident at a bus stop in front of Hoffman Park in Elmhurst on Friday the 13th.
Police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst responded to a 911 call of a vehicle accident at the intersection of Hoffman Drive and Woodhaven Boulevard just before 2 p.m., where they found the victim lying on the roadway after he was struck by an MTA Q52 bus. EMS responded to the scene of the collision and rushed the senior to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead a short while later.
The victim was identified as Wayne Silverman, 70, of 80th Street, about a mile from the scene of the fatal collision. Further investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that Silverman was sitting on his rollator walker at the bus stop just south of the Queens Center mall, and north of the Long Island Expressway, when he attempted to stand up as his MTA Q52 articulated bus arrived. The senior lost his balance and stumbled into the path of the bus.
The Q52 driver remained at the scene, and there are no arrests at this time, police said. There is no criminality suspected, and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and my thoughts are with Mr. Silverman’s family and loved ones,” Council Member Robert Holden said. “I will be closely following the NYPD’s investigation and reviewing whether additional safety measures are needed at this intersection.”
