You are reading

Hit-and-run driver identified in the killing of an Astoria cyclist last month: NYPD

Bekim Fiseku, 58, was identified by the NYPD as the driver who killed Astoria cyclist Amanda Servedio in a hit-and-run crash while he was being chased by police last month. NYPD

Nov. 21, 2024 By Bill Parry

The NYPD has identified a suspect in the fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a cyclist during a police chase through the streets of Astoria last month.

Bekim Fiseku, 58, was allegedly behind the wheel of a black Dodge Ram 1500pick-up truck that was speeding towards the intersection of 34-th Avenue and 37th Street when he allegedly slammed into 36-year-old Amanda Servedio, who was cycling to her home just blocks away on 31st Avenue near 37th Street.

An NYPD spokeswoman was not able to provide an address for Fiseku, who was suspected in a burglary in progress at a construction site in the vicinity of Crescent Street and 39th Avenue in Dutch Kills on the night of Tuesday, Oct. 22 when police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria saw his truck parked on a sidewalk with Fiseku and two other burglary suspects sitting in the cab.

The Dodge Ram had an obstructed rear license plate, rendering it unreadable. Police attempted to conduct a car stop just before 11 p.m. when Fiseku refused to stop and struck two police vehicles while attempting to evade the cops.

He was traveling earthbound on 34th Avenue at a high rate of speed with police in pursuit when he slammed into Servedio, who was ejected from her bike, striking a parked and unoccupied BMW 328i at the corner of 34th Avenue and 37th Street. Officers rendered aid to the injured cyclist as Fiseku sped away from the crime scene. He ditched the truck at Newtown Road and 47th Street.

Hundreds attended a vigil for Servedio and a memorial ride organized by Transportation Alternatives a week after she was struck and killed while cycling home. Photos courtesy of Transportation Alternatives

EMS rushed Servedio to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short while later. Two officers were transported to an area hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

There have been no arrests, and the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad and Force Identification Division are still investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Suspect sought in broad daylight stabbing of a man during a dispute in Jamaica: NYPD

Police from the 103rd Precinct in Jamaica are looking for a suspect who allegedly stabbed a 42-year-old man in broad daylight during an argument on Friday, Dec. 6.

The perpetrator and the victim were engaged in a dispute in front of 92-01 165th St. near the intersection with Jamaica Avenue when the beef escalated into violence. The assailant stabbed the victim in the neck with a cutting instrument before running off in an unknown direction, police said Thursday. The victim was transported by private means to Queens Hospital Center in Jamaica, where he was listed in serious but stable condition.

City debunks drone reports over LaGuardia after real emergency unfolds in Queens skies

As drone hysteria swept from New Jersey across the Hudson River to New York City on Thursday night, fueled by online reports of nearly a dozen large drones spotted over Queens, a genuine emergency unfolded in the skies above the borough.

The Port Authority and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a flight out of LaGuardia Airport earlier in the evening was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport after a bird strike blew out an engine on the aircraft.