Two people have died after an early-morning moped crash on a Queens highway over Labor Day weekend.
The two victims, ages 15 and 19, were traveling southbound on the Cross Island Parkway on Saturday, Aug. 31, when the moped they were riding “collided with a barrier wall,” the New York City Police Department said in a press release obtained.
Both the operator and the passenger were “ejected from the scooter,” which was described by the NYPD as a Zhilo Fly Wing.
Crews responded to the scene just before 2 a.m. local time and found the 19-year-old woman, identified as Giselle Flores, “unconscious and unresponsive,” police said. She was later pronounced dead.
According to authorities, the 15-year-old boy, identified as Andy Rodriguez, “was taken to Flushing Hospital Medical Center by private means, where he was pronounced deceased.”
Andy is believed to have been operating the scooter at the time of the crash, according to the NYPD. Both he and Giselle were both from Flushing.
Amalia Rodriguez, Andy’s mother, said the loss of her son “leaves a great void” in her family, according to the Spanish translation of her comments made on a GoFundMe pagestarted after Andy’s sudden death.
“I ask for your support in this difficult time for me,” Amalia said. “We thank you in advance in this difficult time for the family, any contribution would be very helpful. God bless you.”
Sharick Flores, Giselle’s sister, mourned the loss of her loved one in a statement shared on a separate GoFundMe campaign for her family.
“She would be the energy of the room always giving out good vibes in any situation no matter what,” Sharick explained. She later added, “Your beautiful soul will always be missed. REST IN PARADISE GISELLE. ️❤️”
Speaking with the New York Post, Sharick said she and Giselle spoke on the phone an hour before the fatal crash. Giselle planned to be home around 5 a.m., but “she never got home,” her twin added.
“I was like, ‘What are you doing still out?’ She said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m getting some friends to pick me up,’ ” Sharick recalled.
Giselle and Andy had only met that night, according to Sharick. They were out with friends, who were on a different moped, when the crash occurred near 150th Street.
One of the friends picked up Andy and took him to a hospital, Sharick told the Post. She also went to the emergency room, where she learned her sister had died.
“She was my whole world,” Sharick explained, noting that both she and her sister had “been through a lot” in life. She also said Giselle often operated under the mindset of “you only live once.”
“Her mentality was always, what if we die? We have to live for today,” Sharick added.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, according to the NYPD.
