A Bronx man is facing more than a quarter century in prison after he was found guilty in connection with a hit-and-run collision that seriously injured an e-bike rider after recklessly leading police from the 114th Precinct on a chase through the streets of Astoria racing through dozens of red lights while demonstrating a depraved indifference to human life in the summer of 2024.
Harold Vega, 48, of Jackson Avenue in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, was convicted by a jury on Aug. 28 of first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and other related charges for crashing into the victim, who was riding in a bike lane, before speeding away from the scene.. The jury deliberated for just one day before reaching the guilty verdict.
“This defendant led police on a high-speed chase. He defied instructions by the police to pull over for more than ten minutes all while blowing through traffic signals and stop signs,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. “He maneuvered against traffic and onto sidewalks on a very busy afternoon in a residential neighborhood.”
The victim was riding en e-bike in a bike lane near the intersection of Crescent Street and 36th Avenue in Astoria.Photo via Google Maps
According to the charges and trial testimony, just after 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, Vega was driving a gray 2003 Nissan Altima near the intersection of 36th Avenue and 21st Street in Astoria. A police officer in an unmarked patrol car noticed the car’s license plate was obscured with a tinted cover. Further investigation revealed the obscured plate belonged to a different car and the cop attempted to conduct a traffic stop after activating lights and sirens on his vehicle. Vega briefly paused as if he was stopping then made a U-turn in violation of the nearby traffic light and sped away from the officer.
Vega continued to drive, accelerating at a heightened speed through 25 additional steady red lights and 14 stop signs. He also drove against the flow of traffic, disregarded double yellow lines, wove in and out of traffic and drove on the sidewalk, endangering multiple pedestrians.
After going through a red light at 31st Avenue and Crescent Street, Vega struck Arturo Aguirre Matias, a 39-year-old father, as the victim rode his electric bicycle with pedals across Crescent Street. Matias was inside the designated bike lane, traveling with the flow of traffic and had a green traffic signal in his favor. The force of the impact knocked Matias into the air before he landed causing severe head trauma.
After colliding with the victim, Vega did not stop and continued until he hit a parked car with sufficient force to deploy his car’s airbags. Vega then got out of the car and fled on foot.
Vega was confronted by good Samaritans, who thwarted his run near 24th Drive and 23rd Street where police caught up to him. The entire vehicle chase spanned approximately 11 minutes through residential and commercial areas, including the blocks around Astoria Park.
During his arrest, police discovered a glassine envelope containing a quantity of cocaine in Vega’s pants pocket and determined his driver’s license was suspended. Vega had been previously convicted of unlicensed vehicle operation within 18 months of the incident. The vehicle he was driving was unregistered and uninsured.
EMS responded to the scene and rushed Matias to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Matias needed extensive hospital care for head trauma and required extended, ongoing medical treatment for head trauma including a permanent and severe speech impairment and debilitating seizures.
Trial openings took place on Aug. 25 and closing arguments on Aug. 27. Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Hartofilis ordered Vega to appear for sentencing on Sept. 16 when he faces a cumulative sentence in excess of 25 years in prison.
“He hit a cyclist who was obeying the rules of the road and left him in perilous condition, with severe head trauma that still affects his health and future to this day,” Katz said. “A jury has now convicted him of first-degree assault and other serious charges and he is facing more than 25 years in prison.”