Woodside man dies after being hit by drunk driver fleeing separate crash

A Woodside man has died days after cops say a drunk driver struck him on Broadway. Photo via Google Maps.

By Jonathan Sperling

A Woodside man was pronounced dead on Friday after being struck by a drunk driver who was fleeing a crash that had occurred just blocks away.

Alberto Zamacona, 47, sustained fatal injuries after a vehicle driven by Maspeth resident Jorge Samaniego, 50, struck him as he crossed Broadway near 60th Street in Woodside on Wednesday, according to police. Samaniego was driving away from the scene of a separate collision that had taken place near the intersection of Broadway and 55th Street.

As Samaniego drove off, cops say he proceeded through a steady red light, striking Zamacona as he crossed Broadway in the marked crosswalk. The impact of the crash forced Zamacona up and onto the hood of Samaniego’s minivan, before he fell to the pavement.

Immediately after the crash, Samaniego tried fleeing the scene, continuing down Broadway and swerving into the wrong side of the street. At 61st Street, Samaniego went through another red light, striking another vehicle and launching a chain reaction that ended in a total of three vehicles being hit, cops say.

Police from the 108th Precinct responded to the scene at around 8:15 p.m. and arrested Samaniego, charging him with assault, aggravated vehicular assault, aggravated driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, failing to yield to a pedestrian, leaving the scene of an accident and ignoring a red light.

EMS rushed Zamacona to NYC Health & Hospitals/Elmhurst with severe head trauma. He was pronounced dead on Friday. Two other drivers who were hurt as a result of Samaniego fleeing the second accident were taken to the hospital in stable condition and eventually released.