Police arrested a 20-year-old man after surveillance photos allegedly tied him to a Queens hit-and-run that left a 59-year-old man badly hurt and one of his dogs dead, and court papers say that instead of calling 911, the driver headed to a Popeye's restaurant.
The crash took place on Feb. 21 along 101st Avenue near 118th Street in South Richmond Hill. According to police, the dog owner suffered bleeding in the brain, a concussion and pain along the left side of his body. Court filings state the driver initially stopped after the collision, then fled the scene and later went to Popeye's rather than report the crash.
As reported by New York Daily News, those filings identify the driver as 20-year-old Javid Vythilingum. Investigators say surveillance images show him behind the wheel of a gray Jeep Cherokee that paused briefly at the scene before taking off. The outlet reports that Vythilingum was arrested and arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and leaving the scene of injury to animals. Prosecutors say he acknowledged he was the person in the surveillance photos and admitted he went to Popeye's after the crash.
Scene and surveillance
The collision happened on a stretch of 101st Avenue near 118th Street that mixes homes, storefronts and steady foot traffic, including dog walkers. Data from CrashCountNYC shows the surrounding South Richmond Hill area recorded five traffic deaths and more than 260 injuries between 2022 and late 2025, a tally that keeps safety on corridors like 101st Avenue a live concern for neighbors.
The location falls within the NYPD's 102nd Precinct, which is leading the investigation and reviewing surveillance footage that prosecutors say helped them zero in on the Jeep and its alleged driver.
Charges and legal context
Under New York's Vehicle and Traffic Law, drivers who know or reasonably should know that they have caused personal injury are required to stop, share identifying information and, when needed, report the incident to authorities. The statute allows prosecutors to raise a leaving-the-scene charge to a felony if the injury is considered serious or if someone is killed.
State court guidance on VTL §600 explains how judges and juries are instructed to evaluate those thresholds in criminal cases. In this Queens case, court documents list an animal-related count in addition to the hit-and-run charges. Lawmakers in Albany have recently advanced bills aimed at clarifying reporting rules and penalties when companion animals are hurt in crashes, although those proposals are still under consideration and have not yet been enacted.
What happens next
According to the New York Daily News report, court papers show Vythilingum was released after his arraignment and is scheduled to return to Queens Criminal Court on March 20. If prosecutors decide to pursue the felony provisions available under VTL §600 and a court ultimately agrees that the facts meet that higher standard, a conviction could bring substantially more serious consequences than a basic leaving-the-scene infraction.
The separate animal-related charge could also carry its own penalties and potential civil consequences tied to the loss of the dog. Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or has additional information is asked to contact the NYPD's 102nd Precinct, which is handling tips and leads in the case.
