Driver Dies After NYPD Pursuit Ends in Fiery Inwood Crash
Francisco Andres Guzman Parra died after two NYPD officers pursued him to the Dyckman Street exit in Inwood, where city records recorded a fatal SUV crash with unsafe speed cited.
What We Know
Press accounts and officials said two 50th Precinct officers pursued a reported stolen 2025 Honda CR-V south on the Henry Hudson Parkway. At the Dyckman Street exit in Inwood, Francisco Andres Guzman Parra crashed just before 5 a.m.; fire broke out, and emergency workers pronounced him dead. City crash data recorded one motorist killed, an SUV traveling south, and unsafe speed. The officers were suspended amid NYPD and state attorney general investigations into allegations that they left without reporting the crash or calling for help. Later reporting identified the driver as Guzman Parra, 31, and said the medical examiner found blunt impact and thermal injuries and ruled the death an accident.
A pursuit ended at the Dyckman Street exit
The city crash record places the fatal crash at 4:57 a.m. on April 2, 2025, at Dyckman Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway and records one motorist killed. News accounts said two NYPD officers from the 50th Precinct pursued the driver of a reported stolen Honda CR-V south on the parkway before he exited at Dyckman Street in Inwood.
Accounts differ on the precise object involved after the driver left the parkway: the Daily News, New York Post and New York Times reported that the driver hit a building, while CBS New York reported that he hit a lamppost. Multiple reports said fire broke out after the crash and emergency workers pronounced the driver dead at the scene.
The crash happened at a parkway exit in Inwood
The fatal crash was reported at Dyckman Street by the Henry Hudson Parkway, at the parkway exit in Inwood. The Daily News described the location as just off the exit on the edge of Inwood Hill Park.
The driver was later identified by the medical examiner
Later reporting identified the driver as Francisco Andres Guzman Parra, 31. The New York Times reported that relatives provided dental records and that the medical examiner confirmed his identity on April 9.
The Times reported that the medical examiner found blunt impact injuries to the head and torso and thermal injuries, and ruled the death an accident. CBS New York reported that relatives held a funeral and called for further investigation into his final moments.
Investigators focused on what the officers did after the crash
Police sources told multiple outlets that the two officers returned to their Bronx precinct without reporting the crash. CBS New York reported that the officers were suspended for an alleged unauthorized pursuit, and the NYPD said the Force Investigation Division and the New York attorney general's office were reviewing the incident.
There is a dispute over what the officers knew. CBS New York reported that Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said the officers lost sight of the car and did not know it crashed, while the family's attorney said his investigation had not corroborated that claim.
Speed and pursuit policy are central to the record
The city crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor, and CBS New York reported that police said Guzman Parra was speeding. The official vehicle record describes the SUV as traveling south before the crash.
The crash happened after NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced limits on vehicle pursuits for traffic violations and low-level offenses. The New York Times reported that police said the initial pursuit appeared justified under the policy because stolen vehicles are felonies, while CBS New York described the pursuit as unauthorized.