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5-Year-Old Boy Killed By Minivan Driver In Crown Heights
By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 17, 2014
Modified Mar 18, 2014
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By
John Del Signore
Published Mar 17, 2014
Modified Mar 18, 2014
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A 5-year-old boy was killed by a minivan driver who backed into him in Crown Heights last night. According to the NYPD, Roshard Charles was crossing Empire Boulevard mid-block, between Nostrand and Rogers, when he was struck by Elizabeth Mayard, 23. Mayard was behind the wheel of a Honda minivan and backing up in the roadway when she ran Rashard over. Police and witnesses say she then fled the scene, but subsequently returned.
Roshard, who was accompanied by his mother and two others, was pronounced DOA at Kings County Hospital. Mayard was arrested at the scene and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, reckless driving, and three red light violations.
One witness tells the Daily News that immediately after the collision, Rashard's mother banged on the back window of the minivan screaming, “Stop, stop you hit my son!” But Mayard allegedly sped off, circled the block, and then returned. “She came back screaming," the witness said. "She said she didn’t know she hit anybody. She was apologizing."
Roshard's death is the latest in a series of pedestrian fatalities in New York City, and comes almost exactly one month after Mayor de Blasio detailed his "Vision Zero" plan to crack down on reckless driving. More than 20 people have been killed in traffic so far this year.
Tagged
brooklyn
cis
Crown Heights
roshard charles
traffic
vision zero
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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