Authorities have charged a 54-year-old man from Staten Island, Bekim Fiseku, with multiple offenses, including murder, in connection with a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of a 36-year-old woman on a bicycle eight months ago in Queens.
Fiseku, a resident of Garfield Avenue in Fort Wadsworth, was allegedly driving a pickup truck involved in the fatal crash on October 22 at about 11 p.m. in Astoria.
According to statements from Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information, Fiseku was among a group of individuals who were fleeing from police during an attempted burglary when the incident took place.
The victim, Amanda Servedio, was struck while riding her bicycle and was ejected from the vehicle before emergency medical services transported her to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Prosecutors assert that Servedio had the right of way when she was fatally struck as Fiseku allegedly ran a solid red light in his vehicle.
Fiseku was arrested on Monday following a grand jury indictment on a total of 12 counts.
These include second-degree murder, first and second-degree assault, second-degree manslaughter, unlawful fleeing of a police officer in a motor vehicle in the first degree, attempted burglary in the third degree, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, and violations related to leaving the scene of an accident without reporting.
He also faces charges of failing to exercise due care, operating a vehicle at unreasonable speed, and reckless driving.
Police had previously sought the public’s assistance in locating Fiseku but did not initially disclose that he was from Staten Island.
Since February, Fiseku has been in federal custody on unrelated charges, according to the Queens district attorney’s office.
The tragic event unfolded on a Tuesday night in October when police responded to a 911 call reporting a burglary in progress involving a dark pickup truck in the Long Island City area.
The officers approached the Dodge truck, which an eyewitness claimed was parked outside a commercial building with an obstructed license plate.
As the officers attempted to pull over the vehicle, Fiseku allegedly fled at high speed, triggering a police pursuit.
During the chase, the pickup truck reportedly struck two police vehicles.
The Dodge was traveling eastbound on 34th Avenue when it collided with Servedio as she rode her bicycle through the intersection at 37th Street.
After the impact, Servedio was thrown from her bike and landed on a parked BMW 328i.
Officers on the scene provided immediate assistance to her, but she later died from her injuries.
After the crash, Fiseku and his companions abandoned the pickup truck about half a mile away at Newtown Road and 47th Street.
Fiseku is alleged to have fled the scene on foot through nearby backyards.
Inside the abandoned vehicle, police recovered several items, including a prybar, screwdriver, bolt cutters, a dead-blow hammer, gloves, a mask, and two cellphones, one of which belonged to Fiseku.
The vehicle, which was registered to Fiseku, was found with a damaged license plate, matching the description of the truck involved in the attempted burglary.
The two police officers injured during the incident were later reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital.
Investigators gathered evidence suggesting that Fiseku and another individual had attempted to forcibly enter a building near where the burglary was reported.
Fiseku was arraigned in state Supreme Court in Queens on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges and was remanded to custody.
He is scheduled to return to court on July 30.
If convicted of the most serious charges, Fiseku could face a sentence of up to 25 years to life in prison.
The investigation into the incident was conducted by several agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and the NYPD’s Highway District Collision Investigation Squad.
The Advance/SILive.com has reached out to Fiseku’s attorney for comment regarding the case.
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