Queens Motorcyclist Killed By Driver Making Illegal U-Turn, Cops Say

QUEENS, NY — A Queens motorcyclist was fatally struck by a motorist making an illegal U-turn, police said.

The death of Raiquel Tapia-Villar, 29, early Monday was the second motorcycle-related death in the borough in as many days, authorities said.

Tapia-Villar rode a 2004 Honda motorcycle at high speed south on Cross Bay Boulevard about 1:25 a.m. when a BMW SUV appeared in his path, NYPD officials said.

The BMW's driver, a 24-year-old man, was in the middle of an illegal U-turn from Cross Bay Boulevard at the intersection of 165th Avenue, police said.

Tapia-Villar slammed into the SUV's passenger side, authorities said. He was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital shortly after the crash, police said.

The SUV driver stayed at the crash and was uninjured, authorities said.

The crash investigation remains ongoing, police said.

Some details about the crash are similar to another fatal collision involving a motorcyclist in Queens.

Early Sunday, motorcyclist Mohammed Hoque, 23, was struck by a motorist after he crashed into the Belt Parkway's center divider, police said. Unlike Monday's crash, however, the motorist who struck Hoque drove off, authorities said.