A woman is dead after being struck by a car while attempting to cross 21st Street Friday night. (Google Maps)
May 9, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A woman is dead after being struck by a motorist while crossing 21st Street in Astoria Friday night.
Karina Larino, 38, was hit by a driver of a 2005 Honda Element while attempting to cross 21st Street— near Astoria Park—at around 10:10 p.m., according to police. The victim lived about a block away from where she was killed.
The driver, a 73-year-old woman, was traveling along Astoria Park South when she slammed into Larino while turning onto 21st Street, police said. The NYPD did not say whether the driver had the light.
Larino was hit while attempting to cross 21st Street outside of the marked crosswalk, police said.
Police received a 911 call that a woman had been struck. Officers found Larino unconscious and unresponsive, lying on the roadway, with head and body trauma.
She was transported to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst where she was pronounced dead. Police said the driver remained at the scene.
No arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing
Larino had worked for the MTA for 15 years and had a 20-year-old daughter, according to the New York Daily News.
Her death came less than 24 hours after another pedestrian was left in a critical condition having been struck by a hit-and-run driver on 31st Avenue. The victim, a 33-year-old man, was hit while crossing at the intersection of 31st Avenue and 33rd Street at around 3:40 a.m. Friday.
Larino’s death also comes about a week after an 89-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries after being struck by a motorist while crossing 48th Street near Northern Boulevard late last month.
Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, who represents the Astoria district, commented on the deaths, noting that more needs to be done to improve road safety and called for urgent improvements to be made.
“We need unprecedented investments in street infrastructure to improve safety [and] it starts [with] our more dangerous intersections,” Cabán tweeted.
“If it saves lives, it’s worth doing.”
We’re facing a dire crisis. Two heart breaking & preventable incidents in Astoria & too many more around our city. We need unprecedented investments in street infrastructure to improve safety & it starts w our more dangerous intersections.
If it saves lives, it’s worth doing. https://t.co/zVISOqAF7C
— Tiffany Cabán (@tiffany_caban) May 8, 2022
6 Comments
“We need unprecedented investments in street infrastructure to improve safety” – i thought they passed that infrastructure part of build back better – wheres the money?
Why not start a program where the city is paying people living in shelters to become crossing guards?
Considering many among the homeless population are substance abusers, mentally ill and/or have criminal records, perhaps putting public safety in their hands is not the best idea in the world.
Great idea. Like the city sweepers program. We can train them to act like crossing guards.
Very sad. Prayers for the bereaved family.
Not sure if it’s the case here, but texting and driving is a huge problem. I see drivers looking down at their cell phones all the time while they’re moving. It only takes a moment of distraction for tragedy to strike.
I see many divers and pedestrians also smoking weed.