A 19-year-old from Jamaica, Queens has been charged with the death of a 17-year-old and the injury of four others in a high-speed collision that occurred last year, as confirmed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. The teen, Mohammad Sk, faces a string of serious charges including aggravated vehicular homicide and driving under the influence, with the district attorney asserting, "the defendant made the reckless decision to get behind the wheel under the influence and drive at more than twice the legal speed limit," according to the Queens District Attorney's Office.
Sk's indictment details how on October 11, 2024, he drove a group of teenagers after purchasing alcohol and then to Cunningham Park and later Fort Totten Park, where they continued to consume drinks and marijuana before the tragic incident occurred on the Cross Island Parkway, early in the morning of October 12 none of the car’s occupants were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash, which lead to severe consequences for all involved. Prosecutors note that the vehicle data recorder indicates no brakes were applied despite speeding at around 110 mph before impact, in a zone where the maximum speed limit is 50 mph, as stated by the Queens District Attorney's Office.
Justice Bruna DiBiase of the Queens Supreme Court scheduled Sk to reappear in court on October 10. If convicted of these crimes, Sk could be facing up to 25 years in prison, reflecting the gravity of the tragedy that not only took the life of Mohammad Rafid but also inflicted serious injuries on the four surviving passengers, with DA Katz highlighting the permanent alteration to the lives of these six families, this information comes from the announcement by the Queens District Attorney's Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Vivian Gonzalez and Matthew Hauszpigel, part of the Vehicular Homicide Unit within the Homicide Bureau, under various levels of supervision within the office of the Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes, as explained by the Queens District Attorney's Office. Rafid, who suffered severe trauma, was declared brain dead three days post-collision and passed away on October 17, 2024, a tragic end to a night that displayed a sequence of choices that will resonate with those involved for a lifetime.
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