The scene of the accident

Teen Driver Fleeing Cops Fatally Strikes 21-Year-Old

A teen driver who fled police after officers smelled pot coming from his car fatally struck a 21-year-old pedestrian in Crown Heights early Monday morning, according to an NYPD report.

From DNA Info by By Rachel Holliday Smith and Gwynne Hogan:

Raymond Ramos, 18, was driving near Schenectady Avenue and Sterling Place just after midnight on Monday when he was pulled over by NYPD officers who smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle, according to police.

As the officers approached, Ramos drove away. With police in pursuit, Ramos made it seven blocks before his car collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and St. Johns Place, police said.

Both cars barreled up onto the sidewalk fatally plowing into a pedestrian who was walking north, a preliminary investigation by the NYPD showed.

Dave Jones, 21, was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he died of his injuries later that that day, police sources said.

The three people in the second vehicle, a Volkswagen Passat, sustained non-life threatening injuries and were taken to the Kings County Hospital. Ramos, who was driving a Nissan Rogue, was also taken Kings County Hospital in stable condition, police said.

Ramos was arrested at the scene and is expected to be arraigned on charges of criminally negligent homicide and vehicular assault, according to police and prosecutors. He is also expected to be charged with reckless endangerment, unauthorized use of a vehicle and disobeying a traffic light, police and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office said.

9 Comments

  • Think Twice

    The police need to think twice before engaging in street chases. Was it worth putting the public in such danger to catch a pot smoker?

  • Wrong Photo Caption

    Your article says the accident occurred at intersection of S. Johns and Nostrand, but your picture of the scene of the accident is Sterling Place and Schenectady, where you report the chase began.

  • MaDDinBklyn

    This whole story reeks, The entire area constantly smells like marijuana. The cops that initiated the pursuit in a populated neighborhood based on suspicion of a teen smoking weed which has been legalized in some States and will most likely be legalized in more within the next few years should be charged/prosecuted as well.

  • huh?

    I don’t usually comment on these forums, but what bone-headed things were said above. Fleeing from police is contrary to the rule of law- it doesn’t matter why they pulled you over, whether the car is reported stolen, a reg is expired, or a headlight is out. If police didn’t chase people who were pulled over, there would be no law on the roads, period, making society much more dangerous. These deaths that result from police chases are 200% the fault of the people running away. If somebody is running away from the police, who knows what they’re hiding – and you would let them get away. In other words – marijuana wasn’t the offense, running away is the offense.

  • SICK SOCIETY

    The problem with our sick society is that people feel that the illegal should be made legal and that will save fatalities. what about the fatalities that occur because of people high on drugs????

  • no#

    maybe they should shoot tires when someone is fleeing. But thats not so safe either.
    what is the answer, I don’t know.
    alot of this is related to the fact that the police never dealt properly with the gang issue.

  • Kishkeh

    It’s unbelievable how you pot heads can
    Actually believe that it was the NYPDs fault.
    Wake up from your purple haze and see
    The reality.