Flushing, Queens, NY (June 29, 2026) – A 13-year-old boy died after the scooter he was riding swerved to avoid an opening car door and collided with a truck, according to police.
The boy was a passenger on a moped being driven by another 13-year-old near 162nd Street and 45th Avenue around 12:30 p.m. on June 29. Police said the boys were passing a parked black SUV when the driver of that vehicle opened the door in front of them.
Surveillance video showed the teens swerve to avoid the open door, lose control of the moped, and strike the side of a truck heading south on 162nd Street. Both boys fell off the moped, and the passenger fell under a rear wheel of the truck.
Both teens were taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where the passenger was pronounced dead on arrival. The moped driver was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. The drivers of the truck and the parked SUV remained at the scene, and police said they do not believe criminality was involved.
The victim’s identity has not been released. Police said it is not yet clear how the two boys came to be operating the moped.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
A boy got on a moped with his friend and never made it home, and there is no version of that sentence that gets easier to read.
Dooring Accidents and Liability in New York
New York law places a clear duty on anyone opening a car door into traffic.
- Under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law ยง 1214, a driver or passenger may not open a vehicle door into moving traffic unless it is safe to do so
- The driver who opened the door, the owner of the moped, and the circumstances that placed two 13-year-olds on that moped are all questions an investigation can examine
- New York follows pure comparative fault, so more than one party’s conduct can be weighed at the same time without barring a family’s claim
For a child’s family, a wrongful death claim in New York generally must be filed within two years of the date of death.
Contact Our Queens Child Injury Attorneys
No parent expects to get the call that their child didn’t survive an afternoon ride down a familiar street, and there is nothing routine about what this family is facing right now.
Our Queens personal injury attorneys have spent more than 25 years investigating crashes involving open car doors, distracted drivers, and unsafe conditions on New York City streets, recovering over $900 million for injured families along the way.
Surveillance footage and the parked vehicle’s location are the kind of evidence that can disappear or get overwritten within days, so preserving it now matters.
We don’t charge anything upfront, and there’s no fee at all unless we recover for the family.
Why Queens families trust Frekhtman & Associates:
- $900M+ recovered for injured New York clients across more than 25 years of practice
- $69,225,000 auto accident jury verdict, one of the largest in New York State history
- Free 24/7 consultations, including home and hospital visits for clients unable to travel
- Personal callbacks from founding attorney Arkady Frekhtman
- Russian-language services available
- Zero fees unless we win your case
