Dec. 4, 2023 By Bill Parry
A Richmond Hill man was killed early Monday morning while he was riding on the back of a moped after the operator lost control in southeast Queens, according to authorities.
Police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica responded to a 911 call of a vehicle collision near the intersection of 146th Street and Jamaica Avenue just before 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 4. Upon their arrival, officers found the rider and his passenger lying on the roadway. EMS transported them to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where the passenger was pronounced dead, police said. He was later identified as Severo Gonzalez, 62, of 129th Street in Richmond Hill.
The operator was listed in stable condition, according to the NYPD.
A preliminary investigation by the NYPD‘s Collision Investigation Squad determined that the 25-year-old driver of the gas-powered moped was traveling eastbound on Jamaica Avenue and approaching the intersection of 146th Street when he swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid striking a vehicle that was executing a left turn from westbound Jamaica Avenue onto southbound 146th Street. The operator failed to properly navigate the roadway and was thrown from the moped along with his passenger, police said.
There are no arrests and the investigation by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad remains ongoing.