By Joe Anuta
A second pedestrian was struck Thursday at another busy Flushing intersection, just a day after an MTA bus hit and killed a 22-year-old Flushing resident at a nearby intersection that is no stranger to accidents, according to the NYPD.
At about 1:26 a.m., a man was struck at the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Union Street and taken to New York Hospital Queens in unstable condition, according to the FDNY. The man’s condition was unclear as of Thursday afternoon, but the Breaking News Network reported that he had died around 4 a.m.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours after an MTA bus struck and killed Meilan Jin, of 144-25 33rd Road, at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to police.
In that incident, the driver of an out-of-service Q44 bus was traveling southbound on Union Street near Northern Boulevard. As the driver made a wide right turn into the westbound land of Northern Boulevard, the bus hit Jin, police said.
The Northern Boulevard intersection is notoriously dangerous, according to police, outdone only by the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and Main Street — a transportation hub where the No. 7 train and a number of bus lines converge.
The NYPD is aware of the problem and issues between 70 and 100 summonses a month at the intersection where Jin was killed, police said.
The city recently made improvements to the intersection to make it safer for pedestrians, according to the city Department of Transportation, which added countdown clocks to alert pedestrians crossing the street how much time remained before the lights changed.
The NYPD also urged pedestrians to look when crossing the streets, not to rush across the roads once the blinking red hand sign begins and to stay aware of the surrounding area by not wearing headphones or talking on cellphones.
In the Wednesday morning accident, the driver did not know that someone was hit and thus did not stop, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
EMS responded to the scene and found Jin unresponsive on the road and pronounced her dead, according to the NYPD.
An investigation is being conducted by both the MTA and NYPD, which interviewed the driver and witnesses, according to both agencies. A surveillance tape is also being reviewed, according to the NYPD.
The driver has not been charged with a crime, police said.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
