8-year-old boy struck and killed by pickup truck in Queens
NEW YORK -- An 8-year-old boy was killed and his 10-year-old brother was injured after being hit by a truck in Queens on Wednesday afternoon.
The driver, 52-year-old Jose Barcia, who police said was one of the first people to call 911 to report the crash, was charged with one count of criminally negligent homicide, two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian, two counts of failure to exercise due care, and one count of speeding.
For hours, investigators combed the scene.
"It was a big boom!" witness Tito Ramirez said.
Watch Alecia Reid's report
Police said a 37-year-old mother was crossing 100th Street in East Elmhurst with her two young sons when the driver of a 2005 Nissan pickup truck making a left turn from 31st Avenue barreled into them.
"When making turns, especially left turns, you must always yield to both vehicles and pedestrians. Take an extra second, make sure the intersection of the crosswalk is clear before completing your turn," NYPD Chief of Transportation Phillip Rivera said. "Because of this poor decision, a family trying to enjoy a beautiful day will never be the same."
Ramirez and his friend, Joel Villacies, were driving in the car in front of the pickup truck. They said once the light turned green, the driver took off from behind them.
"He see the big line of traffic was coming and he just go and run and that was a terrible decision," Villacies said.
The 8-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. His 10-year-old brother was taken to a nearby hospital with an injury to his left wrist.
"She said, 'Oh, they kill my boy! They kill my boy,'" Ramirez said. "In seconds, a mother came to pick up children from school [and] her little boy is gone."
Police said the driver of the pickup has previous driving-related arrests. His driver's license is currently valid. A field sobriety test was administered. Law enforcement officials said he was not intoxicated.
"When I hear that lady screaming, that was so ... I try to keep strong," Villacies said.
"I tell the mom, too, 'It's okay, don't worry,' because she's crying, too. She screamed too much," witness Jasmine Ortiz said.