A 9-year-old boy was struck and killed in broad daylight while crossing the street in Jackson Heights with his mother on Saturday afternoon, according to the NYPD.
Just before 1:30 p.m., the boy, Giovanni Ampuero, and his mother were crossing Northern Boulevard at 70th Street when a Jeep made a left turn onto Northern Boulevard, striking them both and causing severe trauma to Giovanni’s head, police said.
The driver of the Jeep kept going, but he was tracked down a short distance away and arrested, police said.
The victims were taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where the boy was pronounced dead, the NYPD said
The NYPD later identified the driver as Juan B. Jimenez, 86, of Morningside.
He has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident, failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care, police said.
At his arraignment, the judge set his bail at $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond, according to court documents.
He’s currently being held at the Vernon C. Bain Center jail in the Bronx, according to the city’s Department of Correction. He’s due back in court on May 11.
His attorney did not immediately return a call for comment on Sunday.
