Driver Charged After Brooklyn Hit-Run Kills Joshua Germain
Police said Gregory Ventura hit Joshua Germain near Vandervoort and Maspeth avenues, drove off and later surrendered; the city record lists one pedestrian killed and driver inattention or distraction as a factor.
What We Know
Joshua Germain, 31, was fatally injured after a driver hit him near Vandervoort and Maspeth avenues in Brooklyn just after midnight on Feb. 15, 2026. The city crash record lists one pedestrian death and driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. The New York Post, citing police, reported that Gregory Ventura was driving a Nissan Murano, left the scene and surrendered in June, when he was charged with criminally negligent homicide. The Post also reported that Germain was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center and died on Feb. 20.
A late-night crash at Vandervoort and Maspeth avenues
The city crash record places the crash at Vandervoort Avenue and Maspeth Avenue in Brooklyn at 12:16 a.m. on Feb. 15, 2026, and records one pedestrian killed. The New York Post, citing police, reported that Gregory Ventura was behind the wheel of a Nissan Murano when he hit Joshua Germain and drove off.
The official record and the police account published by the Post differ on where Germain was positioned. The city record lists him as a pedestrian not at an intersection, while the Post reported that police said Germain was crossing Vandervoort Avenue at the Maspeth Avenue intersection.
Vandervoort Avenue had a recent record of crashes
The crash happened on Vandervoort Avenue at Maspeth Avenue in Brooklyn. CrashCountNYC location data for Vandervoort Avenue in Brooklyn shows 346 crashes, 176 injuries, 13 serious injuries and 1 death from 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Joshua Germain was remembered as a father and musician
The Post identified the pedestrian who died as Joshua Germain, 31, and described him as a gospel drummer and the father of a 4-year-old boy. His father, Jean Germain, told the paper that his son made time for school events and games and had attended an event at his son's school shortly before the crash.
Jean Germain also told the Post that his son had been a standout drummer, had mentored younger people and was known for helping others. The Post reported that Germain was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center and died on Feb. 20.
Ventura surrendered months later, police said
The Post, citing police and sources, reported that Gregory Ventura, 35, surrendered with a lawyer at a Downtown Brooklyn police precinct on June 22, 2026. Police charged him with criminally negligent homicide, according to the article.