Driver Charged With DWI in Fatal Queens Crash

 

The driver of a car that overturned into the marshy waters near John F. Kennedy International Airport early Sunday morning, killing a 25-year-old woman, has been arrested.

Denise Finley, 32, was charged Sunday with driving while intoxicated and without a license. 

Police said six people were in the car Finley was driving, when she lost control near Brookville Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard in Rosedale, Queens and flipped over into approximately 3 feet of water off Jamaica Bay at around 4:30 a.m.  

First responders rescued four people from the submerged car alive. They were taken to Jamaica Hospital where a female passenger, identifiied as Dominique Jamison of Queens, later died, authorities said. The other three suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Officials said two people escaped the vehicle before help arrived and left the scene of the accident on foot.

Six first responders had to be treated for hypothermia after the rescue.

2 Charged with Teen's Shooting Death in Far Rockaway

Police have charged two suspects Sunday in connection with a weekend shooting that left a teen boy dead outside a house party in Queens.

 

Dashawn Deverow, 21, and Jamane Yarbrough, 16, both of Far Rockaway, were charged with the murder of 17-year-old Xavier Granville, who was shot early Saturday.

 

Deverow was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon. 

 

Granville was shot in the head during a party at a home on Beach 15th Street in Far Rockaway.

 

Police said the gunman walked up to partygoers who were outside the home and fired at the crowd.

 

Photo Credit: NBC10 Philadelphia

Woman Charged With Hate Crime in Queens Subway Push Death

A 31-year-old Bronx woman has been charged with murder as a hate crime for pushing a man in front of an oncoming No. 7 train at a Queens subway station Thursday evening, prosecutors said.

According to the Queens district attorney's office, Erika Menendez confessed to the crime, saying she pushed 46-year-old Sundando Sen onto the tracks because she has hated Hindus and Muslims since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter's worst nightmare – being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train," said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. "The hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions can never be tolerated by a civilized society."

Menendez was charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime Saturday.

Authorities said Menendez was seen walking back and forth on the platform of the 40th Street station and talking to herself before sitting down, alone, on a wooden bench near the north end of the walkway. When the train pulled into the station shortly after 8 p.m., she allegedly got up off the bench and pushed Sen.

The suspect then fled the platform, running down a flight of stairs to the turnstile area and down a second flight to Queens Boulevard.

According to prosecutors, Menendez told investigators Saturday, "I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I've been beating them up."

Sen, a native of Calcutta, had been in the country for more than 20 years and was part owner of New Amsterdam Printing on Amsterdam Avenue, according to his three roommates. Sen had opened the business six months ago and worked seven days a week, commuting by subway daily, his friends and roommates said.

Naeem Davis, a 30-year-old deli worker,was recently arrested and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly pushing Ki-Suk Han, 58, off a midtown subway platform to his death on Dec. 3. Han was struck by a southbound Q train at the 49th Street station in Manhattan.

Police Investigate After Queens Teen Shot Dead In Far Rockaway

A Queens teen is dead after he was shot in the head in Far Rockaway early Saturday morning.

Police responded to a 911 call on Beach 15th Street in Far Rockaway around 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

They found Xavier Granville, 17, outside the apartment building with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say currently there are no arrests but the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

Woman Found Dead In Kissena Lake

A 63-year-old woman was found dead Saturday in Kissena Lake in Queens.

She was found just before 8 a.m. in Kissena Park.

Police say the woman was found unconscious in the water and pronounced dead at the scene.

They say no criminality is suspected at this time.

Parks advocates say the woman may have slipped while out for a walk.

By: NY1 News

Teenage Boy Struck and Killed by Dump Truck

QUEENS — A teenage boy was fatally struck by a dump truck in Jackson Heightsduring Friday morning's rush hour, authorities said.

The victim, who was not immediately identified, was hit at Northern Boulevard and 80th Street about 8:45 a.m., the NYPDand FDNY reported. He is believed to be 13 to 15 years old, a police source said.

''He was in the middle of street," said Gloria Cardon, 50, who works at a nail salon near the intersection.

"He was lying down on his side. He was wearing an orange sweater, blue jacket and orange and blue sweatpants..... I thought he fell. It didn't look like he was run over.''

The truck was making a right turn from 80th Street to travel west on Northern Boulevard when its rear wheels clipped the teen, police said. The truck did not remain at the scene.

"It's unknown if [the driver] knew it struck someone," a police source toldDNAinfo.com New York.

The truck was white and towing a green generator, police said. Cops are investigating which company or agency owned the truck.

Inmate Bites Correction Officer in Rikers Island Fight

RIKERS ISLAND — Eight Department of Correction officers were injured — including one who was bitten on the arm by an inmate — in two fights at the Rikers Island jail Thursday afternoon, authorities said.

Both scuffles occurred in the Anna M. Kross Center mental health observation unit, at 18-18 Hazen St., a Department of Correction spokesman said.

First, an inmate threatened a non-uniform medical staff member, and correction officers were hurt when they intervened, the spokesman said.

Then, in a separate incident, an inmate assaulted Rikers Island staff, the spokesman said.

The eight officers suffered minor injuries and were taken to New York Hospital Queens, the FDNY said. The officer who was bitten had the most serious injury, the Department of Correction said.

Two of the officers had been treated and released by Thursday evening, the department said.

The FDNY initially said the officers were injured in a car crash on the bridge from Queens to Rikers Island.

The Department of Correction disputed that claim and provided a different account.

Cops Hunt Woman Who Fatally Pushed Man in Front of 7 Train

QUEENS — A man was pushed to his death in front of an oncoming 7 train in Queens Thursday night by an unhinged attacker who shoved him without warning, authorities said.

The victim was waiting for a train at 40th Street station, at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, just after 8 p.m., when a woman shoved him from behind onto the northbound tracks just as a train was approaching the platform, the NYPDand FDNY said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. He had not been identified as of Friday morning due to the extent of his injuries, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said.

The suspect, who remained at large Friday morning, was apparently mumbling to herself and pacing on the platform before the  attack, police said.

"Witnesses said she was walking back and forth on the platform, talking to herself, before taking a seat alone on a wooden bench near the north end of the platform," Browne stated. "When the train pulled into the station, the suspect rose from the bench and pushed the man, who was standing with his back to her, onto the tracks into the path of the train. The victim appeared not to notice her."

Police released surveillance video of the woman Friday morning that apparently shows her sprinting from the station moments after the incident.

She was described as heavyset woman in her 20s, standing about 5-foot-5, with brown or blonde hair, Browne said. She was last seen wearing a blue, gray and white ski jacket and Nike sneakers, he added.

After the incident, 7 train service was temporarily suspended between Court Square and 74th Street, and service on the rest of the line was delayed, the MTA and NYPD said.

Thursday night's alleged train push came less than a month after Ki-Suck Han, 58, was killed when he was shoved into the path of a Q train at 49th Street in Midtown Dec. 3.

Police arrested Naeem Davis, 30, a homeless man who admitted to pushing Han, and charged him with murder.

Cops Hunt Woman Who Fatally Pushed Man in Front of 7 Train

QUEENS — A man was pushed to his death in front of an oncoming 7 train in Queens Thursday night by an unhinged attacker who shoved him without warning, authorities said.

The victim was waiting for a train at 40th Street station, at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside, just after 8 p.m., when a woman shoved him from behind onto the northbound tracks just as a train was approaching the platform, the NYPDand FDNY said.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene. He had not been identified as of Friday morning due to the extent of his injuries, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said.

The suspect, who remained at large Friday morning, was apparently mumbling to herself and pacing on the platform before the  attack, police said.

"Witnesses said she was walking back and forth on the platform, talking to herself, before taking a seat alone on a wooden bench near the north end of the platform," Browne stated. "When the train pulled into the station, the suspect rose from the bench and pushed the man, who was standing with his back to her, onto the tracks into the path of the train. The victim appeared not to notice her."

Police released surveillance video of the woman Friday morning that apparently shows her sprinting from the station moments after the incident.

She was described as heavyset woman in her 20s, standing about 5-foot-5, with brown or blonde hair, Browne said. She was last seen wearing a blue, gray and white ski jacket and Nike sneakers, he added.

After the incident, 7 train service was temporarily suspended between Court Square and 74th Street, and service on the rest of the line was delayed, the MTA and NYPD said.

Thursday night's alleged train push came less than a month after Ki-Suck Han, 58, was killed when he was shoved into the path of a Q train at 49th Street in Midtown Dec. 3.

Police arrested Naeem Davis, 30, a homeless man who admitted to pushing Han, and charged him with murder.

WTC Memorial Reopens After Fire On WTC Site

The World Trade Center Memorial is reopen to the public after a fire at the World Trade Center site Wednesday.

The memorial was briefly shut down Wednesday morning as a precaution after officials say flames broke out in a construction area just outside the site.

Fire officials said the fire burned for around 15 minutes before being brought under control around noon.

Assistant Chief Robert Boyce said there were no injuries due to the fire, and the cause is still under investigation.

A memorial spokesman said the site was closed for about 30 minutes.

NYC has had 414 murders so far in 2012, down 18.5%, NYPD credits ‘stop and frisk’ policy

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The number of homicides in the city this year is set to plunge to the lowest figure since recordkeeping began, registering an eye-popping 19% decline, officials said Tuesday.

There were 414 murders in Gotham as of Christmas Eve, compared with 508 at the same time in 2011, an unofficial tally obtained by the Daily News shows.

The final figure is all but certain to fall below the previous low of 471, recorded in 2009. There were a total of 515 at the end of last year.

"I'm thankful for the fact that this year there will be the lowest number of murders that we've had since we started to record them in 50 years, even though the population is as high as it's ever been," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

"I think it's important for the public to know that we have had a fair amount of success in New York and we're moving in the right direction," added Kelly, who often credits the NYPD's controversial stop-and-frisk policy for crime reduction.

The city began keeping murder records in 1963.

Only three people were murdered so far in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, compared with 14 in all of last year.

In the Bronx, similar drops were noted in Morris Heights and Eastchester, the data show.

The number of homicides was a round zero on the lower East Side, where five slayings took place in 2011.

"People are safe walking around," said Alice Pabon, 55, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. "It seems to be getting better with all the changes and renovations of the buildings."

For the first time since records were available, no precinct in the city has exceeded 20 homicides so far.

Soundview, the Bronx, held the dubious distinction of leading in murders with 18, the same tally as in all of last year.

"Certain spots have gotten better over the years, but it's still dangerous," said Ray Perez, 18, who grew up in the area. "I worry about the future, if it's beginning to get worse again."

Last year's most dangerous precinct, the 75th in East New York, Brooklyn — has recorded 17 murders, but that represented a significant decrease from 28 in 2011.

Jamaica, Queens, had 16, a drop of one murder compared with last year's total.

The number of shootings in New York City also dropped from 1,478 to 1,353 — the lowest figure since that stat was first measured some 20 years ago, Kelly said.

The drop in homicides could push the murder count below the city's suicide numbers, according to the city Health Department, which said in a report this year that about 475 New Yorkers kill themselves annually.

City Councilman Jumaane Williams, a Democrat who represents Brooklyn's 67th Precinct, where murders dropped to 13 from 22, has often been critical of police tactics, but he hailed the decline in crime. "There's a good relationship between the precinct and the community," he said Tuesday. "It's not because of stop-and-frisk."

But state Sen. Martin Golden, who represents Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, said the policy did play a role in the NYPD's success.

"If you think that stop-and-frisk isn't playing a role, then you are fooling yourself," Golden said. "The Police Department is doing an outstanding job."

With Irving DeJohn, Barry Paddock and Denis Slattery

By: New York Daily News

Off-Duty Fire Marshal Killed in Queens Crash

QUEENS — An off-duty fire marshal was killed in single-car crash less than a block from his Hollis Hills home on Christmas Eve, officials said.

Martin McHale, 50, lost control of his gray Chevy Silverado about 6:40 p.m. at 85th Avenue and 218th Street, just down the street from his home, and hit a tree, police said.

McHale was rushed to North Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

"He was a standup guy," another fire marshal said outside of McHale's home Tuesday morning.

The man, who did not give his name, said he'd taken the FDNY's fire marshal training course with McHale, who played football for the FDNY's team.

An FDNY spokesman said McHale was not working at the time of the crash.

It was not clear if weather was a factor.

9 Hurt in Four-Car Crash on Verrazano Bridge

STATEN ISLAND — A four-car crash on theVerrazano-Narrows Bridge Monday afternoon left nine people hurt, including one in critical condition, a spokesman for the MTA said.

The crash happened just before 2 p.m. on the upper level of the Brooklyn-bound side of the bridge, officials said.

Emergency workers had to pull one person from the wreckage, officials said.

The victims were rushed to Staten Island University Hospital North and Richmond University Medical Center, officials said. Five of the victims had serious injuries and three had minor injuries, officials said. 

The crash initially knocked out two lanes of traffic on the bridge, but they were reopened about an hour and a half later, the MTA said.

Cops Nab Alleged Fire-Escape Bandits in Washington Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Police arrested a pair of teenagers Thursday night after they were caught trying to rob apartments via fire escapes.

Carlos Vivenez, 16, and a 15-year old girl, whose name was withheld because of her age, were caught by police just after 11:00 p.m. on Dec. 20 after residents at 490 West 187th Street reported seeing them try to enter apartment buildings through the fire escape.

Police said they'd arrested the girl before for burglarizing West 188th Street on Oct. 20th.

by Nigel Chiwaya

Firefighters Rescue Women Dangling from Window in Burning Building

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS — Firefighters saved two women hanging from a third-story window after a fire broke out in a Prospect-Lefferts Gardens building early Monday morning, officials said.

The blaze started just before 6:50 a.m. at 646 Rogers Ave., spreading from a first-floor beauty salon up the back of the building to the second and third floors,FDNY Brooklyn Borough Commander Deputy Assistant Chief James Leonard said.

"They had their upper bodies hanging out the window so they could breathe," said firefighter Paul Fehling of Ladder Company 113.

"There was heavy smoke pushing out the window behind them. When I got up there they told me there was a dog still inside, so the members inside tried to find the dog."

The two women were rushed to Kings County Hospital with minor injuries, along with a third person who was in the building during the blaze, the FDNY said.

Firefighters pulled the dog, a Shih Tzu, to safety, fire officials said.

Keptrice Leonard, who lives next-door at 644 Rogers Ave., said his mother spotted the flames first.

"My mom saw some fire coming out and she told me to get downstairs," Leonard said. "When I got downstairs, I saw fire coming out of the building [next-door], then everybody came down and we called police. If I was asleep, I don't know what would have happened."

Clair Wharwood, a neighbor, said the family that lived in 646 Rogers Ave. also owned the salon downstairs.

"It was very smoky, very hectic out here," Wharwood said. "I am just hoping that the family is okay because they are such great people, very very caring for each other and the community."

The cause of the fire was under investigation, officials said.

By: DNAinfo

9-Year-Old Boy Critically Hurt After Hit By Livery Cab in Brooklyn

CROWN HEIGHTS — A 9-year-old boy was in critical condition Saturday after a livery car struck him at the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue at 8:55 a.m.

The child was crossing the four-lane roadway from north to south against the signal when a green 2004 Mercury town car, headed westbound, slammed into him, police said.

The 44-year-old driver remained on the scene, police said, and no criminality was suspected. The boy was rushed to Kings County Hospital, police said, and had suffered severe head trauma in the accident.

An accident investigation team was continuing to look into the incident Saturday, police said.

by Jess Wisloski/DNAinfo

House Fire Kills Young Father Of Two

Investigators are trying to determine what started a fire that killed a father of two on Staten Island early Saturday morning. NY1's Amanda Farinacci has the story.

What used to be Christmas decorations now litter the front yard of 210 Osgood Avenue where a fast moving fire broke out early Saturday morning and killed a young man.

"It was horrible," neighbor Kerry Constantino said. "The flames were shooting out the top of the roof. I mean like, real intense."

His mother wouldn't speak with NY1 on camera but she says her son, 23-year-old Jameek Champagne, was sleeping in his third floor bedroom around 5:30 a.m. Saturday when the flames broke out.

"I heard my mother yell 'Fire! Fire! Fire!" So I looked out the window and I see there's a whole bunch of fire next door," neighbor Jonathan Quintana said. "When I came outside it just got worse and worse."

Champagne's mother consoled her son's girlfriend -- the mother of their two young children -- outside the home.

Neighbors say in a year that's already seen a deadly hurricane on Staten Island, this latest tragedy is overwhelming.

"We honestly don't really know what's gonna happen next," resident Jessica Opoku said. "I guess take every day as it comes I guess."

"I'm sorry to hear that he didn't get out the house," Constantino said. "It's like the worst Christmas that you could ever have. I just feel sorry for the family."

Fire investigators continue to work to find out what started the blaze, though officials have speculated that it may have been caused by a cigarette.

For now, Champagne's family will soon be planning a funeral.

By: Amanda Farinacci

NYPD goes online to stop school violence

One way the New York Police Department plans to stop a massacre like Sandy Hook Elementary School from happening is by going on cyber patrols.

Officers will go online, especially to social media like Facebook, to preemptively find potential mass killers and identify them before they strike.

The police will be using techniques learned from going on the Internet to combat terrorism. In fact the head of NYPD counterterrorism at police headquarters will be deeply involved.

The New York Civil Liberties Union would not comment on the police actions but the American Civil Liberties Union has stated before that the Privacy Act should be updated for Internet use to protect citizens' information from government intrusion.

Many security experts said the Internet itself has destroyed privacy since so many Internet companies instantly track user information and sell it to advertisers.

The police noted officers can access personal e-mails only if a search warrant is obtained.

Woman Killed by Drunk Driver in Staten Island Crash, Police Say

BLOOMFIELD — A 29-year-old woman was killed and four people were hurt when a drunk driver traveling the wrong way on the Staten Island Expressway crashed into another car early Monday, officials said.

Raffaella Russo, of Stamford, Conn., was killed when a 2007 Toyota traveling east in the westbound lanes of the expressway near South Avenue slammed into the car she was riding in about 2 a.m., the NYPDsaid.

Russo, a passenger in a 2012 Toyota, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Jared Reifschneider, 27, a Staten Island resident, who was driving the 2007 Toyota, was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, DWI and reckless driving, police said. He was taken toRichmond University Medical Center, where his condition was not immediately known.

Three other people were hurt as well, the FDNY said, including the driver of the 2012 Toyota, who was taken to Staten Island University Hospital North in stable condition, police said.

By: DNAinfo

Man Shot on Atlantic Avenue

CROWN HEIGHTS — A man was shot at a Crown Heights deli Monday afternoon, sources and witnesses said.

The man was shot about 3:30 p.m. at Atlantic and Buffalo avenues, according to sources and witnesses.

He was taken to Interfaith Medical Centerin a private vehicle, sources said. 

His condition was not immediately known.

Police and the FDNY did not immediately have information about the shooting.

A witness said he saw someone who was standing outside the deli at the corner of Atlantic and Buffalo avenues fire a gun into the deli, leaving a bullet hole in the glass door.

After the shooting, blood spatters could be seen on the sidewalk outside the deli.

By: DNAinfo

Massive Junkyard Fire Burns in Queens, FDNY Says

JAMAICA — Nearly 150 firefighters battled a massive junkyard blaze in Queens on Monday, a fire spokesman said.

The inferno engulfed many scrapped cars and small buildings at 95-49 Tuckerton St., near Liberty Avenue in Jamaica, at 9 a.m., according to the spokesman.

Hazardous materials teams were also summoned as a precautionary measure because of the potential for toxic substances, such as oil, in the yard, a fire spokesman said.

Two police officers and a firefighter suffered minor injuries and were taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset,NYPD and FDNY officials said.

Crews were still trying to control extinguish the flames four and a half hours later, but they kept reigniting.

Workers at nearby scrapyards said they saw a small pillar of smoke quickly surge to a massive blaze. They added that the yards have gotten a large influx of cars followingHurricane Sandy, perhaps contributing to how quickly the blaze spread.

"They didn't have that many cars before the hurricane. After it, it keeps coming every day. Too many cars lining up outside the street, waiting to be scrapped," said Joe A., 40, who works nearby. "They must have around 200 cars inside the yard, all crushed and piled up like a small mountain."

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, a fire spokesman on the scene said.

By: DNAinfo

Deadly Kings Highway Crash Kills Two Women in Brooklyn

EAST FLATBUSH — Two women riding in a Nissan Murano were killed early Sunday when their car swerved into oncoming traffic in Brooklyn and smashed into another SUV.

The grey 2004 Murano,  which was occupied by two women, 43 and 31, was headed northbound on Kings Highway at 4:45 a.m. when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle, crossing several lanes of traffic and crossing into the southbound lanes between Church and Snyder avenues, police said.

That's when the driver of a 2006 Ford Explorer, a 23-year-old man, who was headed southbound, slammed into the passenger's side door, sending both vehicles spinning.

All the passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals, and the driver of the Explorer, who 1010 WINS reported was an off-duty police officer, was in stable condition.

Both of the women were pronounced dead on arrival at Brookdale Hospital Sunday.

"The cars were all mangled, all the air bags were deployed," said Stella Asby, 55, a local resident. "It's awful."

Joseph Veira, 69,  said the sound wakened him. "I heard the boom, I put my clothes on and ran outside," he said. "The cars were a complete wreck, the one carrying the two women was absolutely destroyed. What a pity, it's such a shame."

The 27-year resident said he frequently sees smash-ups at the intersection. "People drive too fast. Every week there seems to be an accident here."

"The police should have a patrol here to stop people speeding," he added.

Police said no arrests had been made, and an investigation was ongoing. The identities of the victims had not been released, pending family notification.

Footage Shows Gunman In Deadly Midtown Shooting

Investigators have released surveillance video as they try to track down a brazen killer who shot a man to death near Columbus Circle in broad daylight Monday.

Police say Brandon Woodard, 31, was shot in the back of the head at close range on 58th Street near Seventh Avenue in Midtown around 2 p.m.

A freeze-frame from the footage shows him moments before he was gunned down, with the shooter behind him, pulling a weapon out of his pocket.

Investigators say the gunman got into a waiting car which sped off.

Woodard was pronounced dead at St. Luke's Hospital.

Investigators say he's an aspiring rapper from Los Angeles with a criminal record that includes a charge for cocaine possession and guilty pleas for a felony and a hit-and-run.

According to reports, despite his record, he had enrolled in law school.

Witnesses say the shooter came out of nowhere.

"It was like a small little pop like a fire cracker more or less," said one witness.

"It was deadly quiet and the ambulance went in a brought the body by then police were all over the scene," said another witness.

A childhood friend says Woodard would have been graduating from law school soon, and is leaving behind a young daughter.

"Our hearts are just very hurt right now," said Rodney Wellington, Woodard's stepfather. "So we're trying to deal with the grief of a loss of a son, a loss of a father and a loss of a brother."

Investigators say the shooter was last seen wearing khaki pants and a dark hooded jacket.

The getaway car was a light grey Lincoln MKZ sedan. Investigators say the shooter left in the same car he arrived in.

Police say ballistics tests show the gun was also used in an unsolved shooting in Queens in 2009. In that case, bullets hit a building and no one was injured.

Anyone with information on the case should contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS, or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

Woman pulled from overturned car in NJ

An SUV drove off the road, flipped over in the woods, and trapped a woman inside, officials said Tuesday evening.

The accident happened on the westbound I-78 near milepost 34 in Bernards Township, N.J., officials said.

The woman was conscious and alert but her legs were trapped. First reponders worked to free her more than two hours later, authorities said.

Medics rushed her to the hospital.

Traffic on I-78 was backed up for several miles.

By: MyFoxNy.com /

Police involved shooting in Queens

The NYPD says two detectives involved in a drug bust operation shot and killed a suspect in Queens Saturday night.

Residents living in the Ridgewood neighborhood are stunned that a confrontation ended with the fatal police shooting of a man right on their block.

"There were around five or six (shots) and they were simultaneous, there was no pause at all. They were back to back shots," said resident Jonathan Ortiz.

Police say it happened around 10:45 p.m. Saturday night as two plainclothes narcotics detectives had just arrested 33-year-old drug suspect Nolan Rivera when a 42-year-old man pulled a realistic looking air gun on them.

The officers fired off six rounds, hitting the man in the torso and leg. He was taken to Wyckoff Hospital where he later died from his wounds.

"It's a bit disconcerting but I think it was an isolated incident. It's generally a pretty quiet block," said Brent Landon, another resident.

Police say the shooting victim had been arrested 39 times, mostly for drugs. They say no officers were injured and that this was the first shooting for both detectives who have been on the job for nine years.

"I moved here to get away from all the violence and stuff like that, but you can never get away from it I guess," said added Ortiz.

The residents are hoping that their peace and quiet will be restored and that their nights will once again be calm.

By: MyFoxNy.com / Photo By DNAinfo