Toyota driver strikes two men by Astoria food truck; three dead
City crash data recorded three deaths at 42nd Street and 19th Avenue on Aug. 12, 2025, after police said an 84-year-old Toyota driver struck two men standing near an Astoria food truck.
What We Know
On the morning of Aug. 12, 2025, an 84-year-old driver in a 2010 Toyota Corolla was traveling north on 42nd Street near 19th Avenue in Astoria when police said he struck two men standing by a food truck. City crash data recorded three deaths and no injuries. The driver and a 70-year-old pedestrian were taken to Elmhurst Hospital and pronounced dead; another pedestrian died at the scene. Police and articles identified the pedestrians as Santiago Baires, 70, and Joaquin Venancio-Mendez, whose age was reported as 41 or 42. Witnesses described the Toyota traveling at high speed, and some accounts said the driver went through a stop sign. amNY reported sources said the driver may have suffered a medical episode after a recent stroke, while police continued investigating.
Morning crash at a food truck
The crash happened just after 8:30 a.m. at 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria. City data lists three people killed: the 84-year-old Toyota driver, a 70-year-old pedestrian and another pedestrian. Police said the driver was traveling north on 42nd Street when he struck two men standing near a food truck.
A commercial Astoria block
The crash occurred near a food truck by local auto businesses on 42nd Street near 19th Avenue. Streetsblog described the block as having one traffic lane in each direction, parking on both sides and several auto repair shops with cars parked on the sidewalk, limiting visibility.
The people who died
Police and relatives identified the pedestrians as Santiago Baires, 70, and Joaquin Venancio-Mendez. Articles disagreed on Venancio-Mendez's age, reporting him as 41 or 42. ABC7 reported that Baires was a father of eight and grandfather of 14, and that Venancio-Mendez was a father of two and manager of Astoria Discount Tire.
QNS reported that police identified the Toyota driver as Andrei Coman, 84, of Sunnyside Gardens. City crash data recorded him as the only occupant of the Toyota.
Police described a chain reaction after impact
Police accounts said the impact sent the Toyota into a Volvo driven by another man, who was not injured. City data lists a 2010 Toyota sedan, a 2025 Volvo SUV, a parked 1995 Chevrolet SUV and a parked 2012 Volkswagen sedan involved. QNS described the Chevrolet as the food truck, and Patch reported that police also listed contact with a parked Volkswagen Passat.
Speed reports, stop-sign accounts and a medical question
Several witnesses and news accounts described the Toyota traveling at high speed before the impact. ABC7 and the Daily News quoted witnesses who estimated speeds around 50 to 60 mph or higher, and Patch and QNS reported police accounts that the driver went past a stop sign.
amNY later reported that sources familiar with the case said Coman had suffered a stroke weeks earlier and may have had a medical episode before the crash. The same account said the exact nature of any medical episode remained unclear. Gothamist reported that police made no arrests as the investigation continued.
Families and neighbors called for safer streets
Family members and the food truck owner described grief and shock at the scene. Abelardo Venancio told CBS New York, "Nobody deserves this type of end," while NBC New York quoted him saying, "This time it's my brother, next time it could be anyone." ABC7 reported that wreckage was cleared and a memorial formed that night.