Driver Backing From Queens Garage Kills 75-Year-Old Pedestrian
Police said an 83-year-old driver backing from a garage hit and pinned 75-year-old Georgiana Belfiore at 73-55 217th Street, where city crash data recorded one pedestrian death at 3:35 p.m. on March 15, 2022.
What We Know
Georgiana Belfiore, 75, was killed on the afternoon of March 15, 2022, at 73-55 217th Street in Oakland Gardens. City crash data records one pedestrian death and lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. Police told QNS that Belfiore was standing behind the car when an 83-year-old driver backed from a garage in a parking area, hit her, and pinned her under the car. QNS reported that she was pronounced dead at the scene, no arrests had been made, and the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad was investigating.
Backing out in a parking area
The city crash record places the fatal crash at 3:35 p.m. on March 15, 2022, at 73-55 217th Street in Queens. It records a sedan traveling east and backing before the crash, with one pedestrian killed and no other injuries recorded.
Police sources told the Daily News that the driver stayed at the scene. QNS reported that police said Belfiore was standing behind the car when the 83-year-old driver backed from a garage in a parking area, hit her, and pinned her under the car.
217th Street in Oakland Gardens
The crash happened at 73-55 217th Street in Queens, near 75th Avenue in Oakland Gardens. CrashCountNYC's street-level context for 217th Street in Queens shows 186 crashes, 99 injuries, 3 serious injuries and 2 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Georgiana Belfiore was killed near home
QNS identified the pedestrian as 75-year-old Georgiana Belfiore and reported that she lived just blocks from the crash site. Police had not released her name when the Daily News published its initial account.
Vehicle details in the record and press accounts
The official crash record lists a 2021 Mercedes sedan, with center rear damage, left rear bumper damage, left side door damage, and roof damage. QNS first described the car as a BMW, then later in the same article identified it as a 2021 E350 Mercedes Benz.
Driver inattention listed by the city
The official crash record lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. The public articles reviewed did not report a charge; QNS said no arrests had been made and that the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad was investigating.