Man Hit by Car after Being Beaten for Bumming a Smoke: Police

A man attempting to bum a cigarette was beaten by a group of men and then hit by a passing car Saturday in Queens, police said.

The man, whose identity wasn't disclosed by police, was hospitalized in critical condition.

Investigators released a surveillance video of the suspects in the beating and ask that anyone with information about the incident call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

The victim, 23, approached a group of men and asked for a cigarette at about 4:15 p.m. on Liberty Avenue in the Richmond Hill neighborhood, police said. The group initially ignored him and then assaulted him, police said.

The victim then stumbled into the street where he was hit by a black Toyota.

The driver, 23-year-old Emir Zulfiqar, of Brooklyn, left the scene, but then returned, police said. He was subsequently charged with leaving the scene of an accident and failure to stop for a red light. There was no information as to whether he had a lawyer who could comment on the charges.  

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