A Queens pedestrian was struck and killed after being caught in a crash involving two vehicles early Tuesday morning, as officers search for two people who ran from a truck involved in the collision, police said.
The crash happened at Kissena Boulevard and Horace Harding Expressway around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, according to police. A U-Haul truck appeared to blow through a traffic light, according to surveillance video obtained by NBC New York.
Police said that the driver jumped a curb, struck a light pole and then a pedestrian on the sidewalk, killing 56-year-old David Opiela. Michael Abbate, a friend of the victim, said Opiela had been out "just walking to get coffee."
After ramming into Opiela, the driver of the U-Haul swerved back onto the road and swiped a Honda Accord, according to investigators. The 42-year-old man behind the wheel of the sedan was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries, but he is expected to survive.
Two women in the U-Haul truck left the scene and police are looking for them, officers said. The crash scene was blocked off for hours on Tuesday. A sneaker could be seen on the ground.
"It's horrible. I understand they are scared also but do the right thing take accountability for it. If it's an accident, it's an accident. But if it wasn't an accident, then take responsibility for what happened," said Abbate.
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Police said they did not yet have a good description of the U-Haul driver nor the passenger who ran away from the intersection.
