On Wednesday afternoon, a fatal hit-and-run collision near a Woodside school tragically ended the life of 16-year-old Jael Zhinin and critically injured her 8-year-old sister, Leslie. The collision occurred around 3:30 p.m. as the girls were heading home after their last day of school. While crossing the street at the intersection of 47th Avenue and 46th Street, a 2016 Ford water delivery truck, driven by a 28-year-old man, made a left-hand turn and struck the girls. Jael was thrown to the pavement and subsequently run over by the truck’s rear tires as the driver fled the scene.
What happened to Jael Zhinin
With school out for the summer, 16-year-old Jael Zhinin and her younger sister Leslie celebrated the last day of term by going to a local Queens park to start their vacation. Then, disaster struck. Before the girls could get home, they were hit at an intersection by a truck in an accident that killed the adolescent and left her 8-year-old sister in severe condition. The truck driver who was arrested on Wednesday afternoon after a fatal hit-and-run collision near a Woodside school that killed a 16-year-old girl and critically injured her 8-year-old sister had not been charged as of 5 p.m.
On Thursday, according to an NYPD spokesman, who added that the investigation is ongoing. At 3:30 p.m., 16-year-old Jael Zhinin and her younger sister Leslie had just left I.S. 125 on their last day of school and were in the crosswalk at the intersection of 47th Avenue and 46th Street when the 28-year-old driver of a delivery truck made a left-hand turn from westbound 47th Avenue onto 46th Street, striking the girls and allegedly driving away.
GoFundMe campaign for Jael Zhinin
The Zhinin family has been crushed by the event. Jenifer Quizhpi, a family friend, started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for Jael’s funeral and Leslie’s medical bills during her recovery. Quizhpi underlined the community’s role in offering support and comfort to the bereaved family at this difficult time. The outpouring of sympathy, kindness, and solidarity has been critical for the family as they deal with this devastating loss.
This unfortunate occurrence highlights the critical need for increased safety measures on public roadways, especially in high-risk regions such as school zones. The community’s outcry and current investigation will hopefully result in substantial reforms to safeguard vulnerable pedestrians and prevent such tragedies
