A vehicle carrying two passengers collided with both a stoplight and an unoccupied, parked car at the corner of 52nd Avenue and 65th Place in Maspeth around 4 a.m. on Dec. 30.
Police from the 104th Precinct arrived at the scene and observed that the vehicle in question, a 2025 BMW that was driving southbound on 65th Place, had flipped over and caught on fire with both passengers still inside. Officers assisted the passengers out of the vehicle and first responders put out the fire without issue, according to the NYPD.
EMS arrived at the scene and transported both passengers to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, where they were listed in stable condition with minor injuries.
The 911 call was made by a nearby resident who was awoken by the sound of the crash and witnessed the aftermath. The caller — who spoke with QNS and wishes to remain anonymous — remained on the line with emergency operators for several hours. According to the resident, the fallen light post, two damaged cars and fire was a “horrific” sight for their neighbors who feared the injuries to the victims were potentially fatal.
Both passengers denied operating the vehicle at the time of the crash, and neither has been charged with any crimes, according to the NYPD.
NYC DOT and National Grid employees arrived the same day to reinstall the light pole and patch the section of road that had been damaged from the fire. The small intersection was fully repaired just two days later.
