Teen Driver in Hylan Boulevard Crash; Three Passengers Died
On July 10, 2022, a 16-year-old driver in a Ford Mustang collided with a GMC Yukon whose driver was turning left at Hylan Boulevard and Richard Avenue, where three teen passengers died and six people were injured.
What We Know
Police said a 16-year-old driver was eastbound in a Ford Mustang on Hylan Boulevard while the 47-year-old GMC Yukon driver was westbound and turning left onto Richard Avenue. The official record lists unsafe speed and failure to yield as contributing factors; its vehicle records cite unsafe speed and driver inexperience for the Ford driver and failure to yield for the GMC driver. Three passengers in the Ford, Fernanda Gil, 16, Jesie Gil, 15, and Ashley Rodriguez, 15, died, and six other people were injured. Articles reported that the Mustang was split after the impact and that the two 15-year-old back-seat passengers were ejected.
A left turn, speed, and a violent impact
The crash happened at about 8:47 p.m. on July 10, 2022, at Hylan Boulevard and Richard Avenue. The official record says the Ford sedan driver was traveling east and going straight, while the GMC SUV driver was traveling west and making a left turn; police told reporters the vehicles were a Ford Mustang and a GMC Yukon.
Police accounts reported that the Mustang driver and the Yukon driver collided during the turn. After impact, the Mustang was split in two, two back-seat passengers were ejected, and the front section came to rest after hitting roadside objects.
Reports identified the area in different neighborhood terms
The official record places the crash at Hylan Boulevard and Richard Avenue in Staten Island's 10309 ZIP code. Gothamist and the Post described the location as Tottenville, while Daily News stories described it as Charleston.
Three teenage passengers died
Police identified the passengers who died as front-seat passenger Fernanda Gil, 16, and back-seat passengers Jesie Gil and Ashley Rodriguez, both 15. Jesie Gil and Ashley Rodriguez died at the scene, and Fernanda Gil died at Staten Island University Hospital North.
The official record counts six injured motorists. Reporters said the 16-year-old Mustang driver was hospitalized; accounts described his condition as serious but stable, critical but stable, or critical. The 47-year-old Yukon driver and four passengers were treated for minor injuries.
Family context reported after the crash
The Daily News reported that two of the teenagers were siblings and that Ashley Rodriguez's Sweet 16 party had been scheduled for the following week.
Official records cited speed, inexperience, and failure to yield
The official crash record lists unsafe speed and failure to yield right-of-way as contributing factors. At vehicle level, it cites unsafe speed and driver inexperience for the Ford driver and failure to yield for the GMC driver.
The official vehicle records list a 2018 Ford sedan with four occupants and a 2017 GMC SUV with five occupants. They list the Ford driver's license status as permit and the GMC driver's status as unlicensed; news reports said the Yukon driver had a suspended license.
DOT pointed to planned Hylan Boulevard safety changes
The day after the crash, Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said DOT would move ahead with a redesign of southern Hylan Boulevard. DOT officials said the plan would remove a traffic lane in each direction, add bike lanes in each direction, and add left-turn lanes on the 1.2-mile stretch between Satterlee Street and Page Avenue.
The Daily News reported that the fatal crash was a block east of the planned redesign, and DOT officials said they would explore additional changes at the intersection where the crash happened.