Teen moped rider dies after Midwood crash involving turning driver
Jhoan Puga, 17, died at Maimonides Medical Center after police said he was driving a gas moped north on East 8th Street in Midwood with a passenger and was involved in a crash with a left-turning driver.
What We Know
Jhoan Puga was driving a northbound moped with a passenger on East 8th Street in Midwood when the crash happened at Avenue N. The official record lists a sedan driver making a left turn and a parked SUV as the other vehicles involved, and records one motorist killed and one injured. The Daily News, citing police, reported that EMS took Puga and his passenger to Maimonides Medical Center in critical condition and that Puga later died there. The article said the turning driver stayed at the scene and was not hurt. The official record and the article differ on the turning driver's listed sex and some vehicle description details.
A northbound moped rider and a left-turning driver
The crash happened at about 1:56 p.m. on June 23, 2025. The official record lists Puga as the 17-year-old driver of a northbound moped going straight ahead, with a sedan driver traveling north and making a left turn, and a parked SUV also involved.
The Daily News, citing police, reported that Puga was riding a gas moped with a passenger on the back when the crash occurred, and that Puga then crashed into an unoccupied Honda Odyssey. The article said both riders were thrown from the moped and suffered body trauma.
East 8th Street at Avenue N in Midwood
The official crash record places the crash on East 8th Street at Avenue N in Brooklyn's 11230 ZIP code. The Daily News described the location as East 8th Street in Midwood.
Puga died after he and his passenger were taken to the hospital
The official record identifies the person killed as a 17-year-old male moped driver. The Daily News identified him as Jhoan Puga and reported that EMS took him and his passenger to Maimonides Medical Center in critical condition, where Puga later died.
Records differ on the turning driver and vehicle description
The official record lists a 2023 Hyundai sedan with a licensed female driver, while the Daily News, citing police, described a Genesis G80 operated by a 71-year-old man. The article said the turning driver stayed at the scene and was not injured.
The official record lists the parked vehicle as a 2024 Honda SUV. The Daily News described the parked vehicle as an unoccupied Honda Odyssey.
Investigators recorded lane use and speed factors
The official crash record lists improper passing or lane usage as a contributing factor for the crash. In the moped entry, officials also recorded unsafe speed. The Daily News reported that there had been no arrests and that the NYPD Highway District Collision Squad was investigating.