8-year-old boy killed, 10-year-old brother hurt after being struck by pickup truck in NYC

NEW YORK (TND) — An investigation is underway in New York City after two brothers were struck by a pickup truck in a Queens crosswalk Wednesday afternoon.

New York Police Department Chief of Transporation addressed the media from the scene of the intersection at 31st Avene and 100th Street.

At 4:15 p.m., officers from the 115 Precinct responded to numerous 911 calls of a pedestrian struck at the intersection in East Elmhurst.

Upon arrival, officers found an 8-year-old boy and his 10-year-old brother struck by a vehicle. EMS was immediately requested.

Rivera said the 8-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. The 10-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital for an injury to his left wrist.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the NYPD Highway and District Collision Investigation Squad determined that a 2005 Nissan Titan pickup truck was stopped at a red light at the intersection.

As the light turned green, the Nissan, operated by a 52-year-old man, immediately made a left turn, failing to yield to traffic and to the family crossing the street in the marked crosswalk.

Rivera said the truck then hit the brothers and "narrowly avoided" hitting the 37-year-old mother.

The driver was taken into custody immediately and Rivera confirmed charges are pending.

"This incident, as tragic as it is, was avoidable," Rivera said, reminding drivers that when taking a left turn, they must yield to pedestrians. Rivera urged drivers to take an extra second to ensure no one is in the crosswalk.

Because of the poor decision, a family trying to enjoy a beautiful day will never be the same," Rivera said.

Rivera said the driver didn't yield to oncoming traffic and made the turn "too quickly." He confirmed the family did have the "walk" sign at the crosswalk.

When asked if the driver had a phone in his hand, Rivera did not mention whether or not the driver was distracted, saying it remains under investigation.

Rivera did confirm that they conducted a field sobriety test and said the driver was not intoxicated. He also said the driver was one of the first 911 callers and remained at the scene after the incident.

Rivera said that based on traffic patterns in the past two years, the intersection was not considered a "dangerous intersection," but followed up by saying "Any intersection can be dangerous when drivers are not paying attention."