Posted on: September 24, 2021 12:00 PM

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Grand jury indicts Brooklyn resident in hit and run crash that killed woman on Christmas Eve last year

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Jason Liriano, 23, has been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and arraigned in Supreme Court on criminally negligent homicide charges and other crimes for allegedly crashing into a vehicle and running away on foot. The crash killed the female passenger in a ride-share car and the driver was also injured. The incident took place in Ozone Park, Queens, on Christmas Eve in 2020.

District Attorney Katz said, “Behind the wheel of an expensive sports car, the defendant allegedly drove at a high rate of speed and hit the other car on the rear passenger side. As alleged, his careless driving sadly resulted in the tragic death of an innocent woman. We all bear a responsibility on our shared roadways. This defendant’s alleged actions caused heartache and grief. He will be held accountable in our judicial system.”

Liriano, of Pine Street in Brooklyn, was arraigned yesterday before Queens Supreme Court Justice Gary Miret on a 4-count indictment charging him with criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of an incident without reporting, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second degree and driving in excess of the maximum speed limit. Justice Miret set the defendant’s return date for December 2, 2021. If convicted, Liriano faces up to seven years in prison.

District Attorney Katz said that on December 24, 2020, shortly after 7 p.m., the defendant in a black 2020 Lamborghini allegedly crashed into a Toyota Camry on 103rd Avenue and Rockaway Boulevard. The backseat passenger Ritawantee Persaud, 54, and the driver were injured in the crash. The driver of the Lamborghini and one of his passengers quickly exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot. Another passenger riding with Liriano was injured and remained at the crash site.

Both Persaud and the driver of the Toyota were immediately transported to a local Queens hospital where Ms. Persaud was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Toyota sustained severe head and body trauma but survived the injuries. (From Queens DA's Office)