(GMaps)
Dec. 7, 2015 Staff Report
A driver was killed and a passenger left in critical condition after he lost control of his vehicle in Woodside on Sunday night and slammed into a cement barrier, according to police.
The 30-year-old driver was traveling westbound on Laurel Hill Boulevard and lost control of his 2000 Honda Accord at the intersection of 48th Street at about 10:30 pm. He went on to strike a barrier and a parked vehicle at that location.
The driver, Jorge Bermudez of Maspeth, was pronounced dead at Elmhurst General Hospital. A 30-year-old male passenger was transported to the same hospital and is listed in critical condition.
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yes too many have died at these same cement barriers and yes there is drag racing even seen the flaggers and crowds my families cemetary plots are so close to the entrances it makes me sick…. their ems up the block the cops knows it happens and they know people die why would they not stop these perpertrators and save some lives i think 108th gives a damn it just baffles me wny they cant stop it…… Fear of those involved possibly big money stakes one never knows. i know when i hear em I dont give a damn I will go over and tell them to get the Fxxx away from sacred grounds and the location of many deaths and find something less dangerous to everyone children adults anyone in their paths they are too young to know. Impose stiffer penalties for underage and for elders take their freaking licence empound their cars they will stop isee toonpeoplen fear speaking out in their name why thats how you stop things. Believe me anyonehurtsyoum due tp a post they are defomettly prome suspect………..
I believe this wrecked Honda accord is now parked next to the police station in long island city. I knew once I saw that car that someone had to die in there. Completely wrecked. Is it possible to transport these wrecked cars to an indoor location so I don’t have to look at it every day on my way to the train station? It’s very depressing having to look at that every day…
probably on a cell phone, no one plows into cement barrier looking at the road.
could be tired from working late and on the phone
Petition Albany to allow us to have speed cameras. My understanding is that revenue from speeding tickets goes to the state so our city doesn’t get the revenue so there might not be the highest incentive to enforce it. I read somewhere the police union is against speed cameras. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Statistically I think you’re more likely to get killed or injured in a traffic related incident than being the victim of a crime, but I’m not going to say it doesn’t happen in Sunnyside. Yeah the speeding on Laurel Hill ain’t nothing new, not since I’ve lived in the neighborhood for the past 36 years, they can solve all that by putting the top back over there like I mentioned earlier, & I don’t know spending a couple thousand dollars on some speed bumps.
I meant to say cop not top. They should put the cop back there and speed bumps.
It’s an expressway service road, even going the speed limit speed bumps would be a danger not an asset.
I have been living here and have encounter worst situations. After work, I drive to west from 58st to 48st and there have new drag races from time to time. There is progress, they changed the speed limit to 30mph which makes sense and they definitely need to keep a cop car with a radar gun so people learn not to go over 30mph.
After 48st on laurel hill Blvd there is a U-turn on 47st but drivers exiting out the expressway onto 47/48 street does not stop!! In addition everyone turns into the “do not enter” sign to they can avoid the signal light!!! THIS SHOULD STOP!
Thanks for listening
There’s been drag racing there for decades…. old news. On each of the support columns of the B.Q.E. there used to be spray painted blocked letters, “Y.O.U.T.H. 1968”, “Y.O.U.T.H. 1969”, and so on. It was done in memory of those kids that died racing under the roadway. Over the years it has gotten better, believe it or not. I know, I live about a block away from there. Oh… by the way. I never was car jacked, mugged, and since I’m still here….. I wasn’t killed either. There are many places in Queens that deal with the same thing. Francis Lewis Blvd. and the “Connectings”, the connecting highway leading up to the Triboro Bridge are just a few.
Coming from 58th street one of the columns is marked as the start line, 1/4 mile mark is the traffic light by the gate. It’s been that way since it was built.
also if you ever go there around 11 to 1am, it’s a popular drag racing site. lots of cars and lots of people in otherwise deserted area – no open stores, no reason why anyone would hang out there. i made a mistake of driving there once around that time. i thought i was going to get mugged/car jacket/killed.
I can relate! I was doing home from work around 12:30am and the drag racers blocked my road. I got so scared I took out my phone and nearly dialed 911 but it would have too a long time for them to get there so I just made a quick u-turn and drove off.
They need more cops here
the problem is the road. it’s straight from 58st so everyone likes to speed there but there’s a curve on 48st. on top of that, the pavement on 48st is not good – lots of pot holes. it makes for a deadly combination.
There actually is a light there, but still it’s a dangerous intersection. People need to slow down. There’s a reason why they lowered the speed limit to 25 miles per hour. People like to speed on Laurel Hill Blvd under the expressway, I’ve witnessed people going at least double that speed and sometimes they don’t slow down in time before they come to the crowded intersection at 48th. Earlier this year there was a police officer routinely posted in between 58 and 48 on Laurel Hill Boulevard, with their radar gun out clocking for speeders, but I haven’t seen them in a couple of months. Maybe we can get that police detail back over there, it certainly made me feel a lot safer to have that officer clocking for people there? That might prevent some traffic accidents from happening up at that intersection at 48th and Laurel Hill. What do you think 108 precinct, can you help us out?
Matt. I’ve seen the police @ the entrance of the cemetery In the direction of Queens Blvd. Just last week. He or she was busy that day. I would say every 10 mins. They would put on their siren and take off. I was there about 45 mins. Yes they do speed there, also the cars leaving the cemetery go through the red light. When Laurel Hill has the green.
Must have been joy speeding / drag racing (whatever you want to call it). It’s nearly impossible to die in a one car crash (no 2nd car or collisions with intersecting vehicles or pedestrians) if you maintain speed limits. Clearly they were speeding.
Going a bit over speed limit in an old vehicle and not wearing seat belts will also get you get killed. They may have been speeding but since we don’t know how he died, you shouldn’t make assumptions.
The fact that there are flowers posted by more than two families on that same cement wall that splits the road should be an sure indication that something needs to be put there. A light or a stop sign.
There is a traffic light there. It’s actually in the picture.
That intersection is so dangerous, many people died and I don’t know why they don’t put a traffic light there, how many more people are going to die, before a traffic light is place there. So sad!!
There are 2 traffic lights on 48th and laurel hill.
One to get underneath the bqe and another to get out from underneath
There is a traffic light there.
There is a traffic light there -_-
There IS A TRAFFIC Light there brainiac!!
Even the picture shows the traffic light. The problem is the sudden shift in lanes, they were probably going too fast or was cut-off somehow and did not realize the cement column. It’s narrow too.
He lost control of his vehicle. Another car didnt crash him.