A 49-year-old woman who pulled over to fix a flat tire on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway right over Apollo Street was struck and killed on Monday afternoon.
Police say that Aissatou Diallo, from Staten Island, had left her 2005 Chevy to fix her flat tire. A good Samaritan driving a 1997 Toyota Rav4 pulled up to help Diallo out.
While they were standing outside their cars, a 43-year-old driver, later identified as Vladimir Menin from Fort Lee, New Jersey, struck the Chevy from behind, which then hit the pedestrians.
Diallo was thrown over the highway barrier and into the roadway in Greenpoint.
Police found Diallo’s body on the pavement on Meeker Avenue, and she was immediately taken to Elmhurst General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, Menin’s car, a 2011 BMW, continued to hit the Toyota Rav4 before it stopped. Menin was taken to Woodhull Hospital, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries.
He has been charged with manslaughter, aggravated vehicular homicide, DWI (driving while intoxicated), reckless driving and aggravated unlicensed operator vehicle.
The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate the incident.