A man was arrested last week after his reckless driving cost a man his life and caused a three-car pile up in Woodside.
According to police, at 8:17 p.m. on Dec. 11, the NYPD responded to a 911 call regarding a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian struck on Broadway at 60th Street. Upon their arrival, officers found Alberto Zamacona, 47, lying on the roadway with severe head trauma.
EMS rushed Zamacona to NYC Health & Hospitals/Elmhurst, where he died of his injuries on Dec. 13.
An investigation found that prior to this incident, 50-year-old Jorge Samaniego was leaving the scene of another crash he was involved with on Broadway and 55th Street in a 2000 Honda Odyssey. As he approached the intersection at 60th Street, Samaniego allegedly ran through a steady red light and hit Zamacona, who was trying to cross Broadway in a marked crosswalk with the signal in his favor. Zamacona hit the car’s hood before landing on the ground.
Upon impact, Samaniego allegedly continued to drive down Broadway — crossing from the eastbound lanes to the westbound lanes — disobeyed another steady red traffic signal at the intersection of 61st Street, and struck a 2013 Toyota Prius, operated by a 56-year-old man, which was stopped at a red traffic signal in the west bound lane of Broadway. As a result, the Prius struck a 2015 Toyota Sienna, operated by a 46-year-old man, in the travel lane, which in turn struck a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, operated by a 30-year-old man.
The drivers of the Prius and the Sienna were taken to NYC Health & Hospitals/Elmhurst in stable condition, where they were subsequently treated and released. The driver of the Jeep was not injured.
Samaniego was taken into custody that evening and charged with aggravated DWI, aggravated vehicular assault, failure to yield to a pedestrian, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and violating a red light.
