Motorcyclist Dies After Utopia Parkway Crash in Queens
Police said Thomas Hardy, 28, was speeding on Utopia Parkway in Fresh Meadows when he lost control near Jewel Avenue and later died at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens.
What We Know
Thomas Hardy, 28, was riding a 2021 Honda CBR650R on Utopia Parkway shortly after midnight when police said he lost control at a high rate of speed near Jewel Avenue. The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor and records one motorist killed. News reports said Hardy was thrown into a residential yard after the crash at a brick wall or fence and was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where he died. QNS reported that no one else was hurt and no other vehicles were involved.
Police described a high-speed ride before the crash
The crash happened at 12:37 a.m. on June 1, 2022, according to the city crash record. Police told the Daily News that Thomas Hardy was speeding down Utopia Parkway in Fresh Meadows when he lost control of his Honda CBR650R near Jewel Avenue.
QNS reported that Hardy was found unconscious and unresponsive with head and body trauma after being thrown into a residential yard. EMS took him to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Queens, where he was pronounced dead.
Thomas Hardy was the rider who died
The official record identifies the person killed as a 28-year-old male motorcycle driver. News reports identified him as Thomas Hardy of St. Albans.
The city record shows one person killed and no recorded injuries to pedestrians, cyclists, or other motorists. QNS reported that no one else was hurt and that no other vehicles were involved.
The motorcycle was a 2021 Honda
The official vehicle record lists a 2021 Honda motorcycle traveling south and going straight before the crash, with one occupant. The Daily News and QNS both described the motorcycle as a Honda CBR650R.
The official record lists center front-end impact and demolished damage for the motorcycle.
Speed was cited in the official record and by police
The city crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Police told the Daily News that Hardy was speeding, and QNS reported that he was riding at a high rate of speed before he lost control.
Utopia Parkway has a recent record of serious harm
The official crash record places the fatal crash at Utopia Parkway and Jewel Avenue in Queens. The Daily News also placed the crash near Jewel Avenue, while QNS included both Jewel Avenue and a separate reference to Yellowstone Boulevard in its account.
CrashCountNYC location data for Utopia Parkway in Queens shows 400 crashes, 278 injuries, 20 serious injuries and 3 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.