You are reading

Woman struck by hit-and-run driver in Astoria last month remains hospitalized and in need of support

Shalon Samaroo, 41, remains hospitalized nearly a month after she was struck by a speeding hit-and-run driver in Astoria. No arrests have been made yet and the investigation continues. Her aunt has launched a fundraising campaign to support her. Photos courtesy of GoFundMe.

Sept. 18, 2024 By Bill Parry

Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria are still looking for the hit-and-run driver who struck a 42-year-old Kew Gardens woman during the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 24.

The victim, Shalon Samaroo, was crossing the street at Broadway and Steinway Street at 2:20 a.m. when she was hit by the motorist who was speeding in a red Mercedes Benz sedan and drove away, leaving her lying in the crosswalk, police said.

EMS responded to the scene and rushed Samaroo to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was listed in serious but stable condition. She was moved to a Woodside rehabilitation facility on Sunday where she is trying to recover from multiple serious injuries, including fractures to her spine and neck, three fractures to her leg and another fracture on her upper arm. Her aunt, Betty Sawh, launched a GoFundMe account to help her niece with mounting medical bills and no means of income during her recovery.

“Shalon’s situation is urgent,” Sawh wrote on the fundraising page. “We are asking for your generosity to help cover her medical expenses, rehabilitation and living costs as she embarks on a long journey to recovery. Your support can make a significant difference in her life during this incredibly challenging period.”

Her niece is wearing a halo neck brace and has difficulty feeding herself due to her injuries. The pain she experiences daily is a constant reminder of the challenges she faces. After undergoing emergency surgery for her leg injuries, which required the insertion of rods and screws, Samroo’s doctors are currently unable to address her upper arm fractures due to the severity of her spinal and neck injuries.

“As a single individual with her family living out of state and abroad, Shalon has recently put her life and career on hold as she focuses on her recovery,” Sawh wrote, adding that the hit-and-run driver had ghost plates, complicating the police investigation despite the presence of numerous surveillance cameras in the area.

“Thank you for considering a contribution to help Shalon regain her strength and independence,” Sawh concluded. “Every donation, no matter how small, brings us one step closer to supporting her through this difficult time.”

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

Hollis man charged with raping 14-year-old told teen, ‘I can help you get work’

New details have emerged in the case of the Hollis man accused luring a 14-year-old boy into his car in St. Albans and then allegedly raping him on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 1.

Virgilio Taveras, 63, of Hillside Avenue, was arrested by detectives from the Queens Special Victims Squad two days later and booked at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows. Taveras was arraigned on the Fourth of July in Queens Criminal Court on a complaint charging him with rape in the second degree, luring a child as an E felony, endangering the welfare of a child and other related crimes.

Deadly Belt Parkway crash claims lives of Springfield Gardens man and Manhattan mother: NYPD

A Springfield Gardens man and a passenger in his car died after they were involved in a multi-vehicle chain-reaction crash on the Belt Parkway near Kennedy Airport on the morning of Saturday, July 5.

Noah Thompson, 24, of 179th Street, was behind the wheel of a white BMW 428i traveling eastbound on the Belt Parkway in Howard Beach at 6:05 a.m. when he failed to navigate the roadway approaching the Nassau Expressway exit.

Man in his 50s sought for exposing himself to 13-year-old on E train in Forest Hills: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Transit District 20 are looking for a suspect who allegedly flashed a 13-year-old girl on a Queens subway train last month.

The victim was riding a southbound E train approaching the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station at around 1 p.m. on Monday, June 30, when she saw a stranger exposing himself to her, police said Wednesday. The perpetrator ran off the train at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station and fled in an unknown direction. The youngster was not injured during her encounter with the stranger.