Driver Charged After Fausto Diaz Killed on Church Avenue
At 1:18 p.m. on July 17, 2025, police said Winston Reid hit and killed 36-year-old pedestrian Fausto Diaz at Church Avenue and East 55th Street, then faced vehicular manslaughter and DWI charges.
What We Know
Fausto Diaz, 36, was killed on July 17, 2025, while crossing Church Avenue at East 55th Street in East Flatbush. The city crash record lists alcohol involvement and says the driver was traveling east. Police identified the driver as Winston Reid, 58, and said he stayed at the scene before being taken into custody on vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired charges. News reports described Reid as driving a van, while the official record lists a Ford station wagon/SUV.
A pedestrian was killed at an East Flatbush intersection
The city crash record says the crash happened at 1:18 p.m. on July 17, 2025, at Church Avenue and East 55th Street in Brooklyn. One pedestrian, a 36-year-old man, was killed, and no other injuries were recorded.
News 12 identified the man as Fausto Diaz. Police said Winston Reid, 58, stayed at the scene and was taken into custody shortly after the crash.
Police cited intoxication and prosecutors brought charges
The official crash record lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor. It also records the pedestrian as crossing against the signal at the intersection.
Police said Reid faced charges including vehicular manslaughter, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired. The Daily News reported that his arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court was pending the next day.
Sources differ on the vehicle description
The official record lists a 2011 Ford station wagon/SUV with two occupants, traveling east and going straight ahead before the crash. News accounts described Reid as driving a van, including a Ford E350 or a white van.
Family members described Diaz as devoted to work and family
News 12 reported that a memorial grew at the corner where Diaz died. His twin brother, Jose Diaz, said Fausto had come to the United States to support two daughters in Mexico and was on his way home from work when the driver hit him.
Jose Diaz told News 12, “I know my brother is not going to be brought back. And let’s hope that person pays for what they did.”
Church Avenue has seen repeated harm since 2022
The crash happened at Church Avenue and East 55th Street in East Flatbush.
CrashCountNYC’s Crash Finder shows 1,363 crashes, 953 injuries, 41 serious injuries, and 4 deaths on Church Avenue in Brooklyn since 2022.