Permit Driver Kills 10-Year-Old in Far Rockaway Crash
A woman driving a Mazda SUV with a learner’s permit hit and killed 10-year-old Davina Afokoba near 13-28 Beach Channel Drive on Feb. 9, 2022, after police and reports said she lost control and drove into a car wash.
What We Know
On Feb. 9, 2022, a woman driving east on Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway hit and killed 10-year-old Davina Afokoba and injured another pedestrian. Police data recorded driver inexperience as a contributing factor and listed the driver’s license status as a learner’s permit. Press accounts said the driver lost control of a Mazda SUV near 13-28 Beach Channel Drive and drove into a car wash, pinning Davina against the building. AMNY named the child and reported that paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. The New York Post reported that a 32-year-old woman was taken to Jamaica Hospital, while AMNY reported the injured pedestrian was 33; AMNY also said the driver was taken to the same hospital. Both articles reported no arrest or charges at the time.
A driver lost control near a car wash
The crash happened at about 4:13 p.m. on Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway. The official record says a driver in a 2009 Mazda SUV was traveling east and going straight ahead before the crash.
Press accounts reported that the driver lost control near 13-28 Beach Channel Drive and drove into a car wash, hitting two pedestrians. The New York Post reported that surveillance video showed the driver failing to negotiate a turn onto Beach Channel Drive before accelerating through the intersection.
A child died at the scene, and another pedestrian was hurt
AMNY identified the child as Davina Afokoba, 10, and reported that she died about a block from her home. The official record lists one pedestrian killed and one pedestrian injured.
The New York Post reported that the other injured pedestrian was a 32-year-old woman taken to Jamaica Hospital and expected to survive. AMNY reported her age as 33 and said she was taken to the hospital in stable condition. AMNY also reported that police did not know whether the child was related to the other pedestrian.
Police data cited driver inexperience
The official crash record lists driver inexperience as the contributing factor for the driver in the Mazda SUV. The same record lists the driver’s license status as a New York learner’s permit.
The New York Post, citing sources, also reported that the driver had a learner’s permit. AMNY reported that police could not confirm the permit detail to that outlet, but said photos showed a bumper sticker reading “New Driver Please Be Patient.”
Reports described a Mazda SUV with temporary plates
The official record identifies the vehicle as a 2009 Mazda SUV with one occupant and center-front damage. AMNY reported that the Mazda SUV had no rear license plate and that temporary paper plates in the rear window were registered to Texas, citing a police spokeswoman.
No arrest was reported at the time
The New York Post reported that no charges had been filed as of Wednesday night. AMNY reported the next day that the NYPD had made no arrests and that the case remained under investigation.
Where
Beach Channel Dr