Police are investigating after a 22-year-old driver lost control of his car and crashed into a phone booth, lamp post and parked cars before jumping the curb and killing two men who had been walking on a Queens sidewalk Monday morning.
Police say the driver was speeding and tried to hit the brakes, but lost control of the vehicle near Queens Boulevard and Van Loon Street after 7:30 a.m.
The driver was hospitalized with minor injuries. He was taken into police custody at the hospital for two outstanding warrants.
The victims were identified as 59-year-old Man Chit Cheng and 41-year-old Mu Wang Lin, both of Elmhurst. They were reportedly working construction when they were hit.
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Neighbor Michele Belano said she heard the crash on the 10-lane-wide boulevard, where the speed is marked 30 mph.
"I heard a loud sound, and I thought it was a truck because the cars are always speeding here, especially with that curve, when you're coming onto Queens Boulevard, people always take it and they speed," she said.
Residents have been pushing for tougher traffic enforcement on the so-called "Boulevard of Death," but many say it's up to the drivers to follow the rules of the road.
"When the light turns yellow, people usually speed up because they want to get that light and it's a little crazy intersection there, so people try to get through the light if it's turning yellow," said Belano.
Lori Bordonaro contributed to this report.
