A motorist was fatally shot in the head in Queens on Monday, causing his out-of-control vehicle to collide with a woman crossing an intersection before smashing into a building, according to authorities.
The horrible incident occurred at 4 p.m., when the 66-year-old driver, William Alcindor, was driving past the intersection of 117th Road and Farmers Blvd. in St. Albans when a bullet struck him in the head, according to police, setting off the horrific chain of events.
“I heard a bang. “It was the car colliding with the building across the street,” said Roberto Tendilla, 32, manager of an A&E grocery near the crossroads. “That was crazy. I’ve never seen anything like it in my 17 years working here.”
According to several witnesses, the driver was not the intended target of the gunfire but rather was struck by a stray bullet fired by someone among a group of youths fighting in the parking lot of a nearby Popeye’s.
The shooting “appears to be random,” according to a police source.
“The kids who shot him started running that way,” Tendilla said, pointing toward 177th Road.
“There was a shot and a bunch of kids fighting in the parking lot,” said another witness who declined to provide their identity. “He ran up onto the sidewalk and collided with the building.” The driver “was all bleeding,” they said.
EMTs took Alcindor to Jamaica Hospital, where he was declared dead, authorities said Monday night.
Police officials stated that after the motorist was shot, he collided with a female pedestrian; officers could not immediately provide any information regarding her condition.
The investigation is underway.