Driver charged with murder after 16-year-old girl struck and killed, mother injured near Elmhurst, Queens NYC
A driver has been charged with murder after a 16-year-old girl was fatally struck and her mother was injured in Queens.
The deadly collision happened just after 4 a.m. on Saturday near Benham Street and Roosevelt Avenue.
According to the NYPD, the 16-year-old girl was with a group of people at the location when she got into an argument with the driver of a gray 2009 Chevy Suburban.
Seconds later, police say the driver got into his SUV, jumped the sidewalk and intentionally struck the 16-year-old victim, identified as Jhoanny Gomez-Alvarez of Manhattan. A 32-year-old woman, who police say is the teen's mother, was also struck.
Video obtained by Eyewitness News shows the vehicle reversing and hopping the curb during the incident.
Authorities say the driver, 38-year-old Edwin Cruz Gomez of Uniondale, then fled the scene, turning down Benham Street before crashing into a parked vehicle. Police apprehended Cruz Gomez and took him into custody.
Residents of the nearby area who spoke to Eyewitness News described hearing the deadly crash.
"I just heard the impact, it sounded like a big crush. Like something hit something and a big noise. And then I came out of the building, I looked and I saw the accident," said Geovanni Quintero, who lives nearby.
Gomez-Alvarez was pronounced dead at the scene. First responders transported her mother to Elmhurst Hospital, where she is in stable condition.
Meanwhile, Cruz Gomez is facing a slew of charges, including murder, attempted murder, vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated among other counts.
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