A man was brought into custody on a number of charges for allegedly killing one man and seriously injuring another in Queens by drunk driving.
According to police, at 3:23 a.m. on Oct. 8 officers from the 110th Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian struck on the westbound Long Island Expressway in the vicinity of 85th Street. Upon their arrival, officers found a 27-year-old man and 47-year-old Carlos Santiago lying in the roadway with different levels of trauma to their bodies.
Both victims were rushed to NYC Health & Hospitals/Elmhurst, where Santiago died of his injuries. The 27-year-old man is listed in serious condition with leg injuries.
Further investigation by the NYPD found that Santiago, who is a franchise tow operator, was attempting to hitch the 27-year-old man’s Nissan sedan to his truck, prior to the incident. Both victims were outside of their vehicles on the right shoulder area of the Long Island Expressway when a Dodge Durango, allegedly operated by 28-year-old Denzel Porter with two occupants inside, which was also headed westbound on the Long Island Expressway within the right travel lane. At the same time, a Volkswagen SUV, operated by an adult male, was also traveling westbound on the Long Island Expressway within the center travel lane.
Porter allegedly failed to properly navigate the roadway, and made contact with the Volkswagen, which caused the Volkswagen to hit Santiago, knocking him to the pavement. Porter then allegedly hit the Nissan, which resulted in the car hitting the 27-year-old man, also knocking him to the pavement.
All of the vehicles remained on scene after the incident. All four occupants of the Dodge Durango and the Volkswagen were taken by paramedics to New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Queens, all in stable condition, with various complaints of pain.
Porter was ultimately taken into custody and charged with attempted vehicular manslaughter, attempted criminally negligent homicide, attempted vehicular assault, and attempted DWAI alcohol. The investigation remains ongoing.
