Pregnant woman killed in Staten Island car crash; driver Adem Nikeziq arrested on DWI charges
NEW YORK -- A pregnant woman was killed in an alleged DWI crash on Staten Island early Saturday.
Remnants of what was once a white Dodge sedan lay crumpled along Hylan Boulevard.
"It's pretty crazy," Staten Island resident Leonila Barnes said.
Around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, police say 30-year-old Adem Nikeziq lost control, hit a barrier wall in front of the Hylan Diner, spun out, then hit a pole.
"His rear wheels kicked out because he tried to switch lanes," one witness said.
The car split in half, shredded, its seats visible from afar.
During impact, the 23-year-old passenger, who was pregnant, was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
"It's so sad. She was pregnant. The baby died, also," Barnes said.
"That's another life. That's... No words," Staten Island resident Angela Fontana said.
Witnesses say police processed the scene on Hylan Boulevard near Ross Avenue for upwards of eight hours. People who use that strip of roadway regularly say speeding is a normal occurrence.
"A lot of people race up and down here, especially late night," one man said.
"With the cameras, people are slowing down but not, not, you know, not enough," Fontana said.
Police say the driver suffered minor injuries and was treated at Staten Island University North.
He is now in custody facing a slew of charges, including driving while intoxicated and criminally negligent homicide.
His relation to the passenger has not been confirmed.
