An incident unfolded on Long Island when a 15-year-old boy, identified by police as Antonio Benitez, was killed during a pursuit involving the NYPD. As reported by ABC7NY, the teen was on an e-bike when he was struck by a vehicle in North New Hyde Park last Saturday night. Benitez, a suspected participant in a knife-point robbery, was pursued by officers from Bellerose, Queens.
In a statement to ABC7NY, a cousin of Benitez expressed confusion about the circumstances, saying, "There are just two parts that are just trying to come together to really form a correct story and a baseline as to where everything went wrong, where things started from, it's minimal what we really know."
The youth, a student at New Hyde Park Memorial High School, was remembered by those who knew him as a caring individual fond of sports and spending time with friends. A GoFundMe page describes Benitez as having a deep love for his family and a great sense of humor, as detailed in a report by ABC7NY.
CBS News New York provided details of the incident, reporting that Benitez was struck by a 2015 Lexus SUV while attempting to flee from police. Local residents, familiar with frequent accidents at the intersection, reported hearing the crash during their evening activities. The incident has prompted investigations by both the NYPD Force Investigation Division and Nassau County Police, while also reigniting concerns about the intersection’s safety.
Residents near the crash site told CBS News New York about their recollections of the event. "We were having dinner and, I noticed the sound of a crashed car, and then the car alarm just started beeping right after that. Not too long after that we heard the emergency vehicles," recalled an local, Karina Lopez. Another witness, Jennifer, described hearing "a loud bang" and witnessing CPR being performed on the victim by police officers.
The driver who hit Benitez, Ruyan Ali, aged 28, was discovered to be without a driver's license and was subsequently charged with several offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident with fatality. At an arraignment, Ali pleaded not guilty and was issued a $100,000 bond, ABC7NY reported.
