Crime & Safety

Queens Man Charged With Car Theft After Crash Kills 1: Police

The Kew Gardens Hills resident was arrested Tuesday after police said he crashed a stolen car, killing his passenger.

EAST ELMHURST, QUEENS — A Queens man was arrested Tuesday morning on robbery-related charges after police said he crashed a stolen SUV into two trees, killing his passenger.

Kew Gardens Hills resident Christian Carrion-Rivera, 26, was charged with grand larceny auto, criminal possession of stolen property and drug possession after police officers nabbed him running from the scene of the crash in East Elmhurst, according to an NYPD news release.

Police said Carrion-Rivera had been speeding west along Ditmars Boulevard when he lost control and rammed into two trees near the intersection at 97th Street.

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His passenger, 24-year-old Felix Lopez, was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital but couldn't be saved, according to police.

The Acura SUV that Carrion-Rivera was driving had recently been reported stolen from a driveway in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, according to the New York Daily News.

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Carrion-Rivera was arrested on a car-theft charge in 2019, the Daily News reported.

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