You are reading

Teen on stolen scooter crashes into man at Astoria Park, breaking his leg: NYPD

Cops arrested a 17-year-old boy after he crashed a stolen scooter into a 63-year-old man who suffered a broken leg in Astoria Park. Photo by Jason Artiga

March 13, 2025 By Bill Parry

As the sun set over Astoria Park on Sunday evening, casting long shadows across the soccer field, an unexpected intruder wrecked the bucolic scene.

A 17-year-old on a scooter sped across the pitch and onto the surrounding running track, colliding with a 63-year-old man. Before he could flee, parkgoers intervened, stopping him in his tracks.

The stolen scooter was later returned to its rightful owner. The soccer game was ruined. Photo by Jason Artiga

Police from the 114th Precinct were on the scene moments later after they had seen the reckless boy race into the park at 19th Street and Astoria Park South at around 6:15 p.m. They took the rider into custody before an angry mob could get to him.

EMS rushed the victim to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Photo by Jason Artiga

The victim complained of pain in his legs, and EMS were called to the location, where one of the paramedics noticed a bone in the victim’s leg “to be bulging,” according to the criminal complaint. The emergency medical technician informed the cops that the victim sustained a broken leg.

EMS rushed him to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

A video of the scooter speeding along the running track was shared with Queens Post, capturing the chaotic moments before the crash.

The 17-year-old boy was arrested and booked at the 114th Precinct after a data bank search determined that the scooter, which the NYPD has officially classified as a moped, had been stolen on January 22.

The “adolescent offender” was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Monday on a complaint charging him with criminal possession of stolen property, assault and reckless endangerment.

He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to return to court on March 13.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
annoyedastoria

Just as a reminder this is an incident that is not uncommon. As a runner i use the track frequently and find teenagers, as well as minors accompanied by parents are riding their bikes on the TRACK. This is unacceptable and the people who let their kids run rampant are also rude if you speak to them and ask them to ride literally ANYWHERE ELSE. the amount of soccer balls i have been hit with or bikes that have run into me are too many to count. Let the track be a track. Not a soccer field. Not a playground.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Halletts Point esplanade in Astoria opens, reconnecting community to East River waterfront

Aug. 22, 2025 By Bill Parry

When The Durst Organization broke ground on its massive Halletts Point project in Astoria on a cold winter day in January 2016, the speeches were delivered inside a massive brick warehouse that had cut off public access to a stretch of East River waterfront for generations. That warehouse is long gone, demolished and then replaced by two high-rise residential towers, 20 and 30 Halletts Point, which launched leasing earlier this year, and a 58,000-square-foot waterfront esplanade that opened to the public this month.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.