Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Driving Lesson Horror: Teen SUV Driver Panics, Kills 9-Yr-Old Biking On Sidewalk
By
Jen Chung
Published May 14, 2011
Modified May 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 14, 2011
Modified May 14, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A 16-year-old Long Island girl's driving lesson went horribly wrong when she jumped a curb and hit a nine-year-old boy biking on the sidewalk. According to Newsday, Nassau County Police Det. Sgt. Richard Callahan explained that the teen, who was in a Nissan Xterra SUV with her mom, "became alarmed Thursday when she saw an oncoming car in her rearview mirror and poorly negotiated a turn... When she noticed a car bearing down on her, Callahan said, she accelerated but made too wide a turn. Her SUV went up on the curb and hit Andrew Burrous of Floral Park, his mother and a parked Honda." The teen received her learner's permit two weeks ago.
Andrew's mother Kathy was further behind him and she told 1010WINS, "The car came from behind us and hit me on my left side, and went up on the sidewalk — hit him on the bicycle. I didn’t see what happened after that because the car spun me and I went down." And the Post reports, "The Xterra kept going and smashed into the rear of a parked Honda Civic. It landed on top of the vehicle. The teen driver, who had a learner's permit, backed off the car and parked across the street before getting out."
A neighbor who rushed to comfort Andrew said, "The boy was in shock, and he stood up right after he got hit. He just fell to the ground after that with his legs on the curb and his head in the roadway." The child had been wearing a bicycle helmet, but suffered internal injuries; he was pronounced dead at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.
The teen driver was reportedly distraught upon realizing she struck the boy. Det. Sgt. Callahan said, "This was a combination of panic and inexperience," and said the girl would not be charged. But when speaking to 1010WINS, Kathy Burrous said she didn't know why a mother would teach her teen to drive in a residential neighborhood, "It's not the place to do it."
Tagged
Andrew Burrous
floral park
Learner's Permit
long island
Nissan Xterra
suv
teen driver
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Retired NYPD detective charged with murder in George Washington Bridge shooting
Police say a Rockland County man was fatally shot during what appeared to be a road rage incident on Tuesday night.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 21, 2026 at 4:26 p.m. ET
Modified Oct 21, 2026 at 5:43 p.m. ET
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
NYPD officer faces disciplinary trial 10 years after killing Delrawn Small
Officer Wayne Isaacs will go on trial in January on a charge that he used improper force when he shot and killed Delrawn Small in East New York in July 2016.
By
Ben Feuerherd
NYC adult daycare operators charged with committing over $500K in Medicaid fraud
By
Caroline Lewis
Port Authority eyes $117M fix to Manhattan roadway where falling debris smashed cars
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Bronx couple starved their 3-year-old to death, indictment says
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .