Teen Driver Charged in Fatal Cross Island Parkway Crash
Queens prosecutors say 19-year-old Mohammad Sk was impaired and driving about 110 mph before a 2:30 a.m. Cross Island Parkway crash that the official record lists as killing one motorist and injuring five.
What We Know
Mohammad Rafid, 17, died after a 2:30 a.m. crash on the Cross Island Parkway in Queens. The official record lists one motorist killed and five motorists injured, with unsafe speed recorded as a contributing factor. Queens prosecutors said Mohammad Sk, 19, was driving a 2014 Nissan southbound between Exits 32 and 31 after drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana with five teen passengers. Prosecutors said data from the sedan showed about 110 mph two and a half seconds before the crash, with no brake activation, on a parkway with a 50 mph limit. Sk was indicted on aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter, driving under the influence, assault and related charges; the charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
What prosecutors say happened before the rollover
Queens prosecutors said Mohammad Sk, 19, drove five teenagers in a 2014 Nissan after the group bought alcohol, drank, and smoked marijuana at Cunningham Park and Fort Totten Park. At about 2:30 a.m., prosecutors said Sk was driving southbound on the Cross Island Parkway between Exits 32 and 31 when he lost control, swerved across the road, and the sedan rolled before stopping on its roof in the center lane.
A rear-seat passenger died after severe trauma
The official record identifies the person killed as a 17-year-old male rear passenger. Prosecutors identified him as Mohammad Rafid and said he was taken to a hospital with severe head and body trauma, declared brain dead on October 15, 2024, and died on October 17.
The official crash record lists five injured motorists. Prosecutors said four teenage passengers suffered injuries, including fractures and abrasions, and said Sk was also taken to a hospital with head and body trauma.
Speed, impairment, and seat belts are central to the case
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Prosecutors said the sedan's data recorder showed about 110 mph two and a half seconds before the crash and no brake activation; they said the speed limit on the parkway was 50 mph.
Prosecutors also said no occupant was wearing a seat belt and that four rear-seat occupants were ejected. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the alleged conduct was a reckless decision to drive under the influence at more than twice the legal speed limit.
The crash happened on the Cross Island Parkway in Queens
The official record places the crash on the Cross Island Parkway in Queens. Prosecutors described the location more specifically as the southbound parkway between Exits 32 and 31, near Bay Terrace, on a limited-access roadway where they said the speed limit was 50 mph.
Sk was indicted on homicide and driving charges
The Queens District Attorney's Office said Sk was arraigned on a 12-count indictment that included aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, vehicular assault, impaired-driving counts, reckless driving, unreasonable speed, and driving over the speed limit. Prosecutors said he faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted, and the district attorney's office noted that indictments are accusations and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.