A late-night ride on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway turned deadly when a passenger fell from a moving SUV and was struck by a driver now charged with driving while intoxicated.
Story Snapshot
- Police say a woman fell from a moving SUV on the westbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway around 2:25–2:30 a.m. and died at the scene.
- Officers arrested 29-year-old Destiny Mendez on vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated charges after her car hit the victim.
- Reports agree the victim opened a rear door before entering the roadway; why the door opened remains unclear.
- Police accounts indicate the two vehicles did not collide; both drivers stayed on scene and the investigation continues.
What Police Say Happened On The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
New York City police say 37-year-old Chasna Thelemaque was riding in the rear of a moving SUV on the westbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway near Exit 28 when she opened a door, entered the roadway, and was struck by another car at about 2:25 to 2:30 a.m. Emergency workers pronounced her dead at the scene due to severe trauma. The basic timeline and location match across multiple reports that cite police accounts of the crash.
Police identified the striking driver as 29-year-old Destiny Mendez. Officers arrested her and announced charges that include vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated, and driving while ability impaired. Those reported charges establish the impaired-driving element of the case, though underlying test records and detailed charging documents were not described in the initial coverage. Both vehicles remained at the scene after the crash, and police said the two cars did not collide with each other.
Key Details Still Under Investigation
Reports agree on the fall and the fatal impact, but they differ on the transporting vehicle’s description and service. One account called it a Toyota RAV4 and linked it to a rideshare, while others reported a Toyota Highlander and described it as a taxi. Police-based reports also say the reason the rear door opened is not yet known. Those unresolved points are common in early investigations and may be clarified by later records or court filings.
Police-reported details state that Thelemaque entered the right lane before she was struck, and that both drivers stayed at the scene. That supports the sequence in which the passenger left the SUV and then was hit by a separate car moving in traffic. Emergency medical services tried to help but declared Thelemaque dead on site. The investigation continues under the New York City Police Department’s highway unit, which handles fatal collisions.
Why Impaired-Driving Charges Can Apply In Complex Crashes
New York law allows prosecutors to bring vehicular manslaughter charges when an intoxicated driver’s conduct is a direct cause in a chain of events that leads to a death. Courts have held that the person’s driving does not need to be the only cause, as long as it is a sufficiently direct one. In past cases, appellate courts have described how causation and impairment standards work in fatal crashes that involve more than one contributing action.
That legal framing explains why police can charge an allegedly impaired driver even when a victim’s separate action—like opening a door in a moving car—also played a role. Prosecutors still must link the driver’s impairment to dangerous operation and to the resulting death. Those decisions move forward in court, where test results, reconstruction work, and witness accounts are weighed under New York’s vehicular manslaughter laws and standards for impairment and causation.
Sources:
nypost.com, 1stheadlines.com, bronx.news12.com, cohenjaffe.com, ground.news, nycourts.gov, law.justia.com
