Underage Driver Charged in Fatal Queens Motorcycle Crash
A 16-year-old driver was arrested and charged with manslaughter in connection with a crash that killed motorcyclist Luis Mareno, 30, on September 26, 2023, on the Long Island Expressway in Queens.
According to the NYPD, the teen, driving a 2018 Mitsubishi SUV, reportedly rear-ended Mareno, who was riding a 2020 Triumph motorcycle near Exit 22A around 12:45 a.m. Witnesses reported that the impact caused Mareno to fall off his bike, which was then struck by a 2015 Toyota Sienna operated by a 30-year-old woman.
Authorities said Mareno was thrown into the path of a stationary 2017 Infiniti Q50 on the northwest shoulder of the highway. He sustained severe head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.
All vehicles involved remained at the scene, and the young driver was not arrested immediately. Following a thorough investigation by the NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad and Queens Family Court, he was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, and leaving the scene of an accident. He is being processed as a juvenile, and his identity has not been disclosed due to his age.
This incident underscores New York’s strict driving laws, which require individuals to be at least 16 years old to obtain a learner’s permit.