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Driver Charged in Sunset Park Hit-and-Run That Killed Two Men

Surveillance footage tying the suspect’s BMW to the crash prompted manslaughter charges alongside reckless driving counts.

Overview

  • Juventino Anastacio Florentino, 23, was arrested at his Staten Island residence and faces manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene and reckless endangerment counts.
  • He is scheduled to be arraigned Saturday in Manhattan Criminal Court on the fatal collision charges.
  • Investigators relied on surveillance video showing a dark BMW sedan speeding south on Third Avenue before striking the pedestrians and fleeing.
  • The victims were identified as 59-year-old Faqiu Lin and 80-year-old Kex Un Chen, who were crossing 52nd Street under the Gowanus Expressway when they were hit.
  • NYPD data recorded 10 unsolved hit-and-run cases and 97 traffic fatalities citywide through early July, indicating that pedestrian safety remains a key enforcement focus.