Driver Charged With DWI, Manslaughter In Crash That Killed Mother, Daughter On Rockaway Boulevard In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A mother and her 10-year-old daughter are dead following a tragic crash in Queens and three others are seriously hurt.
Police said the driver responsible for the crash on Rockaway Boulevard was speeding and under the influence, CBS2's Christina Fan reported Sunday.
The mangled remains of the deadly two-car collision were so jarring that people stopped in their tracks.
"I felt real messed up because, I said, 'I hope there are no kids in that car,' and then I found out that there was kids in that car," one person said.
Police said the intoxicated driver behind the wheel of a 2018 Nissan Altima was speeding westbound on Rockaway Boulevard when he collided with an eastbound Chevy Cruze making a left turn onto Guy. R Brewer Boulevard just after 8:45 p.m. Saturday.
Police said the driver of the Chevy, 31-year-old Diana Granobles, and her daughter Isabella suffered severe trauma and could not be saved. The passenger side of their vehicle was completely shaven off.
"The last 24 hours have been extremely, extremely devastating," said Javier Granobles, Diana husband's cousin and Isabella's godfather.
Granobles told CBS2's Cory James that Diana's husband called him Saturday night and told him they were involved in an accident.
"He was hysterical 'cause he had saw the car and the condition it was," he said. "I told him, 'Listen. Calm down. Get to the hospital.' And then about 45 minutes later, he arrived and then he called us and gave us the devastating news."
Granobles described Diana as a loving, dedicated mother and wife and Isabella as "your typical kid."
Police arrested 42-year-old Tyrone Absolam, the driver of the Nissan.
Two children, 12 and 16, were in his car at the time of the crash. They suffered serious injuries, along with Absolam's 38-year-old girlfriend.
"I don't know how they walked away from that," one witness said.
But that was not the case for the Granobles family. They are having to say goodbye to two loved ones taken too soon.
"Our family is strong, and we'll get over this," Granobles said.
Family members say Diana's husband was about three blocks away at work, waiting to be picked up, when he noticed on an app to track his family that Diana and Isabella were at the scene of the crash. He then walked to the scene and witnessed the aftermath of the accident.
Meanwhile, everyone who was in Absolam's car is expected to recover.
Absolam faces multiple charges including assault, manslaughter and DWI.
He is awaiting arraignment and faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Officers said they routinely ticket drivers for speeding, sometimes in excess of 100 mph, on Rockaway Boulevard.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover funeral arrangements for Granobles and her daughter. To donate, click here.
CBS2's Christina Fan contributed to this report.