Food Delivery Worker Xing Lin Killed When Mercedes Crashes Into Multiple Vehicles And Outdoor Dining Structure In Astoria

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A 37-year-old man was killed when a car crashed into several vehicles and an outdoor dining structure Thursday in Queens.

Police say it appears the driver was trying to get around an Uber that was moving slowly.

CBS2’s John Dias spoke with a passenger who was riding in the Uber at the time.

“You could see something bad is about to happen,” Tom Mountfort told Dias. “We both just go, ‘wow, wow,’ because you can see the driver is not going to be able to stop.”

Mountfort said a woman driving a Mercedes tried to get around them, but the 60-year-old crashed through a structure outside the Peruvian restaurant Rosatoro on 35th Street near Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria.

“She went through the entire structure, the long way,” he said.

The car jumped the curb and hit a tree, which is now uprooted.

“Thank God for the tree, because it would have went right through the restaurant, as well,” said Mountfort.

There is ZERO tolerance for reckless driving. I feel incredible pain for Xing Lin’s family.

New York City will continue to deepen our commitment to Vision Zero. Outdoor dining is safe and we'll continue to protect pedestrians and outdoor diners alike. https://t.co/Z0RWc7ftM4

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 30, 2021

Police say road rage may have been a factor. The driver also hit two other cars and fatally struck Xing Lin, a food deliveryman who was riding a scooter in the bike lane.

“I saw the gentleman who sadly passed away. They were working on him. He left very quickly,” Mountfort said.

The driver and a person dining in the restaurant were taken to area hospitals, but both were expected to be OK.

While no one was in the outdoor hut at the time, many are reconsidering how safe they are.

“I won’t eat in any of those outdoor things,” Astoria resident Mindy Reiss told Dias. “Think about if people were out there on a nice evening.”

“I never felt safe about it, because I feel like it’s too close to the cars,” said resident Jared Gonzalez.

Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted about the crash Friday, saying the city has a “ZERO tolerance for reckless driving.”

“I feel incredible pain for Xing Lin’s family,” he added. “New York City will continue to deepen our commitment to Vision Zero. Outdoor dining is safe and we’ll continue to protect pedestrians and outdoor diners alike.”

The NYPD Highway Division is still finalizing its report, looking into everything including how fast the woman was driving. So far, she has not been identified or charged.

Witnesses said the car appeared to be going roughly 50 miles an hour, double the speed limit.

from CBS New York https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2021/04/30/deadly-outdoor-dining-crash-astoria/
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