Teen motorcyclist dies in Astoria Boulevard bus crash
At 10:37 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2023, Dylan Picaza, 16, died at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens after police said he rode a Kawasaki motorcycle into the side of a Q49 bus.
What We Know
On Tuesday night, Dylan Picaza was riding east on Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst when police said he hit the side of a Q49 bus at 101st Street. The city crash record lists a motorcycle and a bus, with the motorcycle going east and the bus going north, and records traffic-control disregard and unsafe speed for the motorcycle. The Daily News, citing police and sources, reported that Dylan was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the motorcycle, and died at the scene. MTA officials said the in-service bus had just left the LaGuardia depot and had no passengers; police said the 52-year-old bus driver was not injured and no criminal charges were filed. Dylan’s mother told the paper she wanted a fuller investigation.
A nighttime crash at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street
The crash was recorded at 10:37 p.m. on Oct. 10, 2023, at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens. The city record lists one person killed and no injuries.
Police told the Daily News that Dylan Picaza was riding east on Astoria Boulevard when he hit the side of a Q49 bus at 101st Street. The paper reported that he was thrown from the motorcycle and died at the scene.
East Elmhurst, near LaGuardia
The crash happened at Astoria Boulevard and 101st Street in Queens ZIP code 11369. The Daily News placed the crash in East Elmhurst and reported that it happened about a mile from Dylan’s Elmhurst home.
Dylan Picaza was 16
The city record identifies the person killed as a 16-year-old male motorcycle driver. The Daily News identified him as Dylan Picaza, a Queens boy born in Peru.
Dylan’s mother told the Daily News that he liked riding a bike and following sports. She also said she wanted police to do a fuller investigation.
A motorcycle and an in-service Q49 bus were involved
City vehicle records list a 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle and a 2009 Orion bus. The motorcycle record gives the travel direction as east; the bus record gives the travel direction as north.
Speed and traffic-control disregard appear in the records
The city record lists Traffic Control Disregarded as the crash-level contributing factor. The motorcycle vehicle entry lists Traffic Control Disregarded and Unsafe Speed.
The Daily News reported that sources with knowledge of the case said Dylan was traveling at a high rate of speed. The paper also reported that no criminal charges were filed.