A man from Queens is facing multiple charges after police say he struck and killed an 8-year-old boy with his vehicle and injured the child’s 10-year-old brother Wednesday afternoon.
The driver, who police identified as Jose Barcia, 52, of Queens, has been charged with one count of criminally negligent homicide, two counts of failure to yield to a pedestrian, two counts of failure to exercise due care, and speeding, according to authorities.
The incident occurred just after 4:15 p.m. at 100th Street and 31st Avenue in East Elmhurst, the NYPD said.
The boys were crossing the street with their 37-year-old mother when they were struck by Barcia, who was driving a 2005 Nissan Titan truck, NYPD Chief of Transportation Philip Rivera said at a news briefing.
Rivera said Barcia failed to yield to both the family and to eastbound traffic while turning left from 31st Street onto 100th Avenue. The driver also narrowly avoided striking the mother, Rivera said.
Police said the 8-year-old boy was found unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to his body. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.
The 10-year-old boy was found with an injury to his left wrist and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition, police said.
According to Rivera, the operator of the vehicle has a valid driver’s license and was not intoxicated.
Police later said Barcia had four prior arrests before Wednesday, all of which were vehicle related. Each arrest was for aggravated unlicensed operator, and occurred between 2009 and 2010, authorities said.