Ridgewood hit-and-run suspect who struck 3, including mom and toddler, charged

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

The individual who allegedly struck three people with his car and fled the scene last week in Ridgewood has been identified and charged.

Tyshawn Baldwin, 28, of Classon Avenue in Brooklyn, was charged on Aug. 17 with assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful fleeing of police officers and other crimes for the hit-and-run collision, which left three pedestrians injured — including a mother and toddler inside a stroller.

On Aug. 10 at Wyckoff Avenue and George Street, officers from the 104th Precinct conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle in question, a 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat, reportedly with a loud exhaust and dark rear tinted windows.

Police observed Baldwin proceed to the intersection and exit the vehicle, to which they responded by activating their lights and ordering him back in the car, officers claim in the criminal charges.

Police say Baldwin was cooperative until they determined that his license was suspended on Aug. 3 of last year, and asked him to step out of his car. Instead, police say he started the car, revved the engine, refused numerous commands to stop and drove at a high rate of speed away from the intersection.

Three people were struck: a 28-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl in a stroller, along with a 35-year-old man who was unloading a truck.

The two female victims sustained minor injuries, and the male was transported to Wyckoff Hospital with a compound leg fracture.

The driver could not be located immediately, but the 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat was discovered abandoned on Woodbine Street in Bushwick shortly thereafter.

Baldwin was arraigned on Aug. 17 before Queens Criminal Court on a 17-count complaint.

He faces charges of assault in the first and second degrees, reckless endangerment in the first and second degrees, unlawful fleeing a police officer, obstructing governmental administration, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless driving, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, parking within an intersection and driving by unlicensed operator.

Baldwin was ordered to return to court on Aug. 19. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

“The complete disregard for public safety in this case is shameful. As alleged, the defendant was operating a vehicle with a suspended license when he struck and injured three pedestrians, including a young child all while callously fleeing a traffic stop,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said in a statement.

“Driving is a privilege and every single person who gets behind the wheel of a car bears an individual responsibility to drive safely,” she continued. “The defendant now faces very serious charges.”

Another hit-and-run collision occurred in Ridgewood at Myrtle Avenue and Hancock Street just days after on Aug. 14, where a 74-year-old pedestrian, Be Tran, was killed.

The suspect for that incident remains at large and the investigation is ongoing.

Area sees 3 hit-and-run incidents in few-day span

Two in Ridgewood, one in Elmhurst; one dead, one in critical condition

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Residents of Ridgewood, Elmhurst and its surrounding neighborhoods were shocked to hear the news of three separate hit-and-run incidents occurring within days of each other.

The first incident occurred on Aug. 10 in Ridgewood at Wyckoff Avenue and George Street, where a 28-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl in a stroller were struck, along with a 35-year-old man who was hit while unloading a truck.

Officers of the 104th Precinct conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle, and ordered the driver to step out. Instead, the suspect stepped on the gas and drove away.

The individual could not be located, but his 2021 Dodge Durango was discovered abandoned on Woodbine Street in Bushwick, Brooklyn shortly thereafter.

The two female victims sustained minor injuries, and the male was transported to Wyckoff Hospital with a compound leg fracture.

The second incident also occurred in Ridgewood, at the intersection of Myrtle Avenue and Hancock Street this past Sunday.

The scene where 74-year-old Be Tran was killed in Ridgewood. (Photo: Citizen)

Police say the driver of a black BMW was traveling east on Myrtle Avenue and struck a 74-year-old man who was crossing the street.

The male victim, Be Tran, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The suspect behind the wheel fled southbound on Seneca Avenue.

Tran was a father and worker for DoorDash.

ABC7 reported that the company released a statement after learning of his death: “This is a heartbreaking tragedy and our thoughts are with his loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time,” the company said.

“We are reaching out to his loved ones to extend our deepest condolences and offer our support. We stand ready to assist law enforcement with their investigation and hope those responsible for this horrible crime are brought to justice.”

The latest incident happened in Elmhurst early Tuesday morning.

At around 2 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of a pedestrian struck in the vicinity of Roosevelt Avenue and 76 Street.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a 45-year-old man, unresponsive, lying in the roadway with severe body trauma.

The victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals in Elmhurst, and is listed in critical condition.

Investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad revealed that the male victim was crossing Roosevelt Avenue when he was struck by a gray Honda Sedan traveling eastbound, which fled the scene.

The suspect remains at large.

Ridgewood Tenants Union, a tenant rights advocacy group, organized a protest in response to the death of Be Tran.

In a release, the group argued that New York City should work to become a safer place for pedestrians, and until more measures are taken, vulnerable communities remain in danger.

“They were all victims of reckless hit-and-runs that could have been prevented if New York City were a safer city for pedestrians. A block away from the latest fatality, residents have been calling on the DOT to install traffic signals in the school zone at Weirfield Street and Seneca Ave, the only intersection on Seneca Ave from St. Felix Avenue to Dekalb Avenue without a traffic signal,” the statement read. “Until these pedestrian protections are put in place, more traffic violence is bound to occur, putting children, the elderly and the community at large in danger.”

At press time, no arrests have been made in regard to all the incidents and investigations are ongoing.

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