An alleged speeding, unlicensed driver in Brooklyn was charged Saturday for fatally striking a 14-year-old boy on a street just steps away from the youth’s home.
The teen, Canarsie resident Christian Antoine, was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital Saturday evening after suffering severe traumatic injuries from the collision just a block away from his home.
Police say 45-year-old Rayan Salmon, also of Canarsie, was speeding westbound in a Mercedes SUV on Glenwood Road when he struck a GMC SUV traveling southbound on East 81st Street. The other driver was proceeding slowly into the intersection, cops said, because visibility was restricted due to a double-parked car in Glenwood’s westbound lane. The intersection has stop signs on East 81st Street but not Glenwood Road.
Salmon allegedly struck the GMC at high speed, causing his car to spin out clockwise and strike Antoine as he was crossing the street, police reported. Antoine was knocked into another vehicle that was parked, and was ultimately discovered by cops and EMS with severe traumatic injuries to his head and body.
Antoine was taken to Brookdale Hospital in critical condition but could not be saved, and was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. Saturday night.
Salmon, meanwhile, was arrested and charged with aggravated unlicensed driving of a vehicle. He was taken to Brookdale University Hospital in stable condition.
Salmon’s license plate has been hit with 7 camera-issued speeding tickets, two bus lane blocking tickets, and one red light ticket since 2020, as well as 10 parking tickets, according to How’s My Driving NY.
Last year, Canarsie’s 69th Precinct saw 4 traffic fatalities arising from three crashes, according to NYC Crash Mapper.
Traffic collisions claimed the lives of 257 people across the five boroughs last year, including 103 pedestrians.
