Driver kills delivery worker before crashing car into Astoria outdoor dining area
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Delivery worker Xing Long Lin was killed by a driver in Astoria Thursday. Photo via GoFundMe
By Rachel Vick
Queens Daily Eagle
A 37-year-old delivery worker was killed in Astoria Thursday when a speeding driver smashed into him before colliding with an outdoor dining structure. Police said the woman was attempting to use a bike lane to pass a slow motorist Thursday night.
The victim, Xing Long Lin, was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital.
Police said the unidentified woman was speeding along 35th Street at around 7:45 p.m. Thursday when she tried to pass another vehicle. She plowed into Lin before crashing into a large wooden outdoor dining structure operated by the restaurant Rosatoro near the corner of 35th Street and Ditmars Boulevard.
Security camera footage from inside the restaurant shows the 2013 Mercedes Benz SUV careening toward the building and coming to a stop just before crashing into the indoor dining area.
A second victim, a 32-year old woman, was struck by debris from the outdoor structure and brought to the hospital in stable condition.
Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the driver in a tweet Thursday.
“There is ZERO tolerance for reckless driving. I feel incredible pain for Xing Lin’s family,” he said. “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 fatal crash reignited transit advocates’ calls for safer streets after several similar incidents over the past year.
“On a day where we should be celebrating the success of the Open Streets program, instead we are mourning the loss of another New Yorker killed by traffic violence,” said Danny Harris, executive director of Transportation Alternatives
“Ever since Mayor de Blasio launched Open Streets, we have called for physical changes to streets to eliminate the danger of cars,” he added. “Mayor de Blasio has not advanced these life-saving protections to our streetscape,”
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani started a GoFundMe for Lin’s family.
