BRIARWOOD, NY — A motorcycle rider and his passenger were killed Thursday evening in a chain-reaction crash on the Grand Central Parkway at the Kew Gardens Interchange in Briarwood, police said. The collision happened just after 6:30 p.m. near the Jackie Robinson Parkway exit and shut down eastbound lanes as investigators worked the scene.
According to police, the rider was operating a 2022 CF Moto motorcycle when he failed to navigate the roadway and hit a white BMW X1. The motorcycle then continued eastbound and struck several more vehicles before both occupants were thrown from the bike.
How did the crash unfold on the parkway?
The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad said the motorcycle next hit a blue Ford Explorer, then slid along the roadway after the rider and passenger were ejected. The unoccupied bike later collided with a Chevrolet Express van and then a Chrysler Town and Country van.
Police said the sequence involved five other people who were evaluated by EMS at the scene. Three were taken to area hospitals and were listed in stable condition with minor injuries.
What injuries did the rider and passenger suffer?
Police said the motorcyclist sustained severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS. His female passenger suffered severe head and body trauma and was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital in critical condition, where she was later pronounced dead.
The identities of the two people killed have not been released pending notification of their families.
Who responded at the scene?
Officers from the 112th Precinct responded to the 911 call reporting a motor vehicle collision and assisted with the emergency response. Eastbound traffic on the parkway was closed while investigators examined the crash area and checked for injuries.
Police said there were no arrests and that the investigation remains open. The case is being handled by the Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.
Why is this crash part of a troubling pattern in Queens?
The fatal Briarwood collision came after two other deadly motorcycle crashes in Queens earlier in the month. On July 11, Douglas Simon, 45, died after losing control of a Yamaha R6 in Springfield Gardens and striking a curb near 159th Street.
On July 2, Jorge Alcibiades Palaquibay-Lima, 31, was killed in Woodside after his Kawasaki motorcycle collided with a box truck turning onto 64th Street. In that case, a construction company owner later launched a GoFundMe campaign for Palaquibay-Lima’s wife and three young children.
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