By The TimesLedger
WILLETS POINT – A 20-year old man was driving a 1992 Honda on the Grand Central Parkway near Northern Boulevard on Saturday about 7:30 p.m. when he apparently lost control of the car and crashed into a pillar, police said.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. An 18-year-old male front seat passenger was removed to Elmhurst Hospital Center in critical condition.
Three men who were in the back seat were taken to New York Hospital Medical Center Queens in stable condition.
Police were investigating the accident.
Jamaica homeowner surprises burglar, both injured in ensuing scuffle
JAMAICA – A scuffle broke out between a homeowner and a would-be burglar Friday at about 9:30 a.m. at 107-31 Pinegrove St. after the homeowner walked in on a burglary in process, said police.
The suspect, identified as Brian James, 42, of 116-10 Sutphin Blvd., sustained a laceration to his left arm and was removed to an area hospital in serious condition, said police. The victim suffered a laceration to his left leg.
The police investigation was ongoing.
23-year-old stabbed at work in Cambria Heights: Cops
CAMBRIA HEIGHTS — A 23-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach after a dispute with a co-worker at 116-34 Springfield Blvd. Tuesday, police said. The victim was taken to Long Island Jewish Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition, cops said.
Police said they arrested Jermaine Brown, 20, of 110-29 171st Place in Jamaica and charged him with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.
Jamaica man charged in worker’s comp scheme
KEW GARDENS — A Jamaica man was charged in a $78,000 worker’s compensation fraud scheme after he allegedly claimed to be unable to work when he was actually employed on a full-time basis, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
The man, William Alston, 52, of 146-09 111th Ave. in Jamaica, worked as a truck driver for David Rosen Bakers in Brooklyn when he filed a worker’s compensation claim in March 1997, saying he had been struck with a hand truck and was unable to work, Brown said. The claim said Alston suffered an abdominal injury.
A year later, Alston allegedly began working as a truck driver for Finest Foods in Woodhaven, Brown said. Alston is accused of collecting $78,540 in worker’s compensation benefits between September 1998 and February 2002 while he was employed in Queens, Brown said.
Corrections officer charged with impersonating cop
JAMAICA – A New York City corrections officer was arrested Saturday about 7:30 p.m. and charged with criminal impersonation of a police officer, said police. The corrections officer was identified as Gary Robertson, 40.
Corona man shot in Crown Heights
BROOKLYN — A 25-year-old Corona man was shot once in the back and later died at Kings County Hospital after police said they responded to an assault in progress at 430 St. Johns Place.
Police said they charged 22-year-old Tiewan McMillan, of 430 St. Johns Place in Brooklyn, with murder and criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Unique Milton, of 105-20 Northern Blvd.
Cops said a .44 caliber revolver was recovered at the scene. Authorities said the investigation was ongoing.
Hospital bribery scheme includes Elmhurst employees
MANHATTAN – Six personal injury lawyers and a team of “runners” who acted as middlemen were charged Feb. 26 with bribing public and private hospital employees to give them confidential health care information about patients who had been treated for accidents, usually car accidents, said Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau.
Employees from at least three hospitals, including Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, and Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx were involved in the scheme, which began in 1995, authorities said.
Hospital employees were generally paid about $300 per client for the personal information, Morgenthau said. The information was then given to lawyers, who collected a 33.3 percent contingency fee per settlement, and split the settlement fees with the runners.
According to Morgenthau, officials were alerted to the scheme after patients began complaining about phone calls from strangers who seemed to know a lot about their personal medical history.
The lawyers and runners were charged with enterprise corruption, which is punishable by up to seven years in prison, and money laundering and bribery, which are punishable by up to four years in prison, the DA said.
Driver critically injured after vehicle collides with minivan
ASTORIA – A 2002 Honda Accord traveling westbound on 33rd Street struck a 1998 Dodge Minivan traveling northbound on 24th Avenue shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday, said police.
The 22-year-old male driver of the Honda struck a wall and was taken to Elmhurst General Hospital in critical condition, police said. The 40-year-old male driver of the Dodge Minivan and a 50-year-old female passenger were not injured.
The accident was under investigation by the highway Accident Investigation Squad.
Man caught leaving mosque charged with burglary
ELMHURST – A man was caught coming out of the side exit of a mosque at 85-37 Britton Ave. carrying an unopened safe about 7:20 p.m. on Monday after someone alerted police about a burglary in process, police said.
Amera Atelhrbrer, 22, of 34-36 92 St. was arrested and charged with burglary.
3 teens robbed, stable after being stabbed
WOODSIDE –Two men demanded at knifepoint that three teen-agers give them their coats about 4 p.m. Friday at 53rd Place and Broadway, police said.
The victims, a 14-year-old and two 17-year-olds, sustained knife wounds during a struggle, police said. They were removed to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition.
No arrests were made, and an investigation was ongoing.
Off-duty NYPD officers help subdue unruly passenger
LAGUARDIA AIRPORT – Three off-duty New York Police Department officers assisted air marshals in subduing a disorderly passenger during a USAir flight from LaGuardia Airport to New Orleans at about 10 a.m. Saturday, said police.
The NYPD officers involved were Sgt. Daniel Farkas of the Police Academy, Officer Richard Stremel of the 115th Precinct, and Officer Timothy Erwig of the 115th Precinct.
The plane was diverted to Charlotte, N.C., where the passenger was removed. The flight then continued to its destination.
There were no injuries reported, and federal charges were pending.
Diabetic with Alzheimer’s missing from Sunnyside
SUNNYSIDE – A 79-year-old diabetic who is suffering from Alzheimer’s was reported missing from his basement apartment at 41-50 39th Pl. on Saturday about 6 a.m.
Walter Przyziazniuk was later located at an area hospital.
Partial torso found in Arverne determined to be male
ARVERNE – A partial human torso that was found in a plastic bag on Beach 63 Sreet. between Larken Street and the boardwalk on Dec. 17, 2002 about 11:30 a.m. has been determined by medical examiners to belong to a male, said police.
The investigation has been reclassified as a homicide, and was ongoing, police said. The victim remains unidentified.
