Driver charged after woman construction flagger directing traffic around expressway killed in Queens hit-and-run
Police have arrested and charged a driver in a deadly hit-and-run that killed a female construction worker directing traffic in Queens.
The deadly collision happened around 7:30 a.m. on Friday near the eastbound Nassau Expressway and Exit 1N.
According to the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad, 25-year-old Daveanand Budhai was driving in a 2018 Infiniti Q50S at a high rate of speed when he struck the female construction flagger. The woman was standing in a safety zone between the exit ramp and the eastbound lanes of the Nassau Expressway at the time of the incident, according to police.
First responders pronounced the victim dead at the scene. She was later identified as Isabel Alvarez, 44, of the Bronx.
Budhai did not remain at the scene and was located a short time later near South Conduit Avenue and 134th Street. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition and later placed into custody.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez issued a statement following the deadly incident.
"I thank our partners at the New York City Police Department for acting quickly to track down and apprehend the suspected driver. The investigation will continue, but our thoughts now are with our fallen colleague, her loved ones, her co-workers and all our New York State DOT team members who are reeling from this tragedy," Dominguez said in part.
"Every day our workers risk their lives in name of highway safety. Today's tragic fatality is a stark reminder to the traveling public to slow down and move over, pay attention, respect work zones, and please, keep all of our workers safe."
Budhai is facing multiple charges, including assault, leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving among other counts.
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