An Astoria woman was arrested after losing control of her vehicle and crashing into an after-school crowd, injuring two young girls and an adult. She was driving without a license, police said. Via Getty Images
April 14, 2025 By Bill Parry
An Astoria woman is accused of driving without a license when she crashed her car into a crowd of pedestrians, injuring two girls and an adult male in front of Our World Neighborhood Charter School on 35th Avenue on the afternoon of Thursday, April 3.
Salmata Bah, 35, of Astoria Boulevard, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Saturday, April 5, on a complaint charging her with reckless endangerment in the first degree, three counts of assault in the second degree and other related crimes.
Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria responded to a 911 call at 5:30 p.m. reporting multiple pedestrians struck in front of the school at 36-12 35th Avenue where they found the wounded victims along the sidewalk.
Bah was behind the wheel of a black 2014 Nissan Versa in traffic when she put the vehicle into reverse and lost control of the vehicle, which jumped the curb and struck the three victims. A 7-year-old girl suffered a broken femur after she was run over by the Nissan and was found bleeding from the mouth due to missing and broken teeth, according to the criminal complaint.
A 14-year-old girl suffered injuries to both legs and was later diagnosed with a possible tear in her right knee, which may require surgery. She also sustained a strike to her head from the vehicle. A 58-year-old man suffered injuries to both legs and struck his head on the sidewalk, causing him to lose consciousness. He also suffered considerable back pain.
EMS transported the victims to area hospitals, where they were all listed in stable condition.
An officer from the 114th Precinct found Bah standing at the back of the vehicle where she told him, “I was driving and trying to park,” according to the criminal complaint. She was unable to provide a valid driver’s license and was taken into custody and later booked at the precinct.
Records from the Department of Motor Vehicles showed that the defendant had surrendered her license on Nov. 22, 2024. Bah was additionally charged with three counts of assault in the third degree, reckless driving, and driving by an unlicensed operator.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Srividya Pappachan set bail at $20,000 cash and $60,000 bond. The investigation by the NYPD’s Highway District Collision Investigation Squad remains ongoing.
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