Driver opens door before 13-year-old passenger dies in Flushing
Police said Christopher Cabrera, 13, died after another 13-year-old swerved a scooter or moped around a driver opening a parked car door on 162nd Street in Flushing and the passenger fell into contact with a truck's rear wheel.
Reported by press, not yet linked to NYC police crash records. This may change when new official records become available or when matching details are reviewed.
Location under review
What We Know
Police said two 13-year-old boys were riding a motorized scooter or moped on 162nd Street in Flushing on June 29, 2026, when the teen operating it swerved as a parked driver opened a door. The operator then lost control and hit a truck whose driver was traveling in the same direction, and the passenger fell and came into contact with a rear wheel, according to police accounts reported by multiple outlets. QNS identified the boy who died as Christopher Cabrera of College Point. The truck driver and the parked driver remained at the scene, and police said no arrests or charges had been made while the investigation continued. Reports differed on the exact time, direction of travel, and the condition of the surviving teen.
A door opened as two boys passed on 162nd Street
Police accounts reported by multiple outlets said two 13-year-old boys were riding a scooter or moped when a parked driver opened or began opening a driver-side door. The teen operating the two-wheeler swerved, lost control and hit a truck whose driver was traveling in the same direction.
The passenger fell from the back and came into contact with a rear wheel of the truck, police said. Surveillance video reviewed by several outlets showed the parked driver opening the door moments before the crash.
Christopher Cabrera was the passenger who died
QNS, citing the NYPD, identified the boy who died as Christopher Cabrera, 13, of College Point. Police said medics took both 13-year-old boys to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, where the passenger was pronounced dead.
Reports differed on the surviving operator's condition. The Post said he was listed in stable condition, the Daily News said he was expected to recover, and QNS said he was listed in critical condition.
Reports used different labels for the two-wheeler
Outlets described the two-wheeler as a motorized scooter, moped, bike or motorcycle. QNS, citing police, described it as a 2024 ZNEN scooter.
QNS described the parked vehicle as a 2007 Honda CRV occupied by a 68-year-old man who was attempting to exit, and described the truck as a 2015 Hino driven by a 50-year-old man. The Post's video story described the parked SUV as a Honda Pilot.
Accounts place the crash near 45th and 46th avenues
The reports place the crash on 162nd Street in Flushing. The Post, Daily News, CBS and NBC described the location as near 45th Avenue; ABC placed it between 45th and 46th avenues; QNS described it as near 46th Avenue in East Flushing.
Most accounts described southbound travel on 162nd Street, while QNS, citing a preliminary NYPD investigation, described northbound travel. The shared account is that the boys were passing a parked driver who opened a door along 162nd Street.
Drivers stayed while police investigated
Police said the truck driver stayed at the scene. The Daily News, QNS and NBC also reported that the parked driver remained there, and the Daily News and QNS said neither driver was injured.
Police said no arrests or charges had been made while the investigation continued. NBC reported that police did not believe criminality was involved.