Driver charged in fatal Jackson Avenue hit-and-run
A southbound driver in an SUV hit and killed 58-year-old pedestrian Darryl Younger at Jackson Avenue and 50 Avenue at 4:39 a.m.; police later charged Joshua Gutierrez in the fatal hit-and-run.
What We Know
Just before 4:40 a.m. on April 28, 2023, a southbound driver in a black BMW SUV allegedly hit Darryl Younger, 58, as he crossed Jackson Avenue near 50th Avenue in Long Island City, then left the scene. Police found Younger unconscious with head and body trauma, and EMS took him to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he died. The official crash record lists unsafe speed for the driver and says Younger was crossing against the signal; QNS reported that NYPD investigators said he was crossing west to east outside a designated crosswalk. In 2024, police charged Joshua Gutierrez with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene, tampering with physical evidence, and aggravated unlicensed operation.
A driver left after the early-morning crash
Police and the official crash record place the fatal collision around 4:39 or 4:40 a.m. on April 28, 2023, at Jackson Avenue and 50 Avenue, near 10-57 Jackson Ave. QNS reported that a southbound driver in a black BMW SUV hit Darryl Younger, 58, as he crossed Jackson Avenue.
After a 911 call, officers found Younger lying in the roadway unconscious and unresponsive with head and body trauma. EMS took him to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The crash was near Long Island City workplaces
The crash happened on Jackson Avenue near 50th Avenue in Long Island City. QNS reported that Younger worked for the NYC Department of Education Office of School Food and Nutrition at 44-36 Vernon Blvd., about a half mile from the crash site.
Darryl Younger was identified as the pedestrian killed
Police identified the pedestrian as Darryl Younger, 58. QNS reported that he lived on Vernon Avenue in Williamsburg and worked for the city Department of Education; amNY reported that he was a school lunch loader and handler and active in his union.
Police later charged Joshua Gutierrez
More than a year after the crash, police arrested Joshua Gutierrez, 20, of Woodhaven. QNS reported that police said Gutierrez was behind the wheel of the black BMW SUV and allegedly fled southbound on Jackson Avenue after hitting Younger.
Gutierrez was charged with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, tampering with physical evidence, and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. QNS reported that his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court was pending.
Records point to speed and crossing details
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as the driver-related contributing factor. It also records Younger as crossing against the signal, while QNS reported that NYPD investigators said he was crossing west to east outside a designated crosswalk. The reviewed sources do not provide a full reconstruction of the crash.