Motorcyclist dies after Van Wyck Expressway collision
Jonathan Santiago, 39, died after police said he hit a stationary Yamaha motorcycle near Exit 12A and then collided with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van on the Van Wyck Expressway, where the official record lists one motorist killed at 7:15 p.m. on April 14, 2026.
What We Know
Jonathan Santiago, 39, of Glendale, died after a multi-vehicle collision on the northbound Van Wyck Expressway near Exit 12A for College Point Boulevard on April 14, 2026. Police told QNS that Santiago was riding a 2018 Yamaha R1 when he hit a stationary 2021 Yamaha motorcycle on the exit ramp, then failed to navigate the roadway and collided with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van driven by a 47-year-old man. The city crash record lists one motorist killed and no other injuries at 7:15 p.m. It lists two motorcycles and a 2024 Mercedes categorized as a station wagon/sport utility vehicle, while the news report describes the Mercedes as a Sprinter van. QNS reported that EMS took Santiago to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and that the investigation remained ongoing.
Police described a chain-reaction crash on the northbound expressway
QNS reported, citing police, that Jonathan Santiago was traveling north on a 2018 Yamaha R1 toward Exit 12A for College Point Boulevard at about 7:15 p.m. when he hit a stationary 2021 Yamaha motorcycle on the exit ramp. Police said that after the first impact, Santiago failed to navigate the roadway and collided with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van driven by a 47-year-old man.
The city crash record lists one motorist killed, no other injuries, and three involved vehicles: two motorcycles and a Mercedes categorized in the record as a station wagon/sport utility vehicle.
The rider who died was identified as a Glendale man
QNS identified the rider as Jonathan Santiago, 39, of Doran Avenue in Glendale. The official record lists the person killed as a 39-year-old male motorcycle driver.
Police from the 107th Precinct responded to a 911 call and found Santiago on the roadway with severe head trauma, QNS reported. EMS took him to New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The sources agree on two motorcycles and differ on the Mercedes description
The official record lists a 2018 Yamaha motorcycle traveling north and merging, a 2021 Yamaha motorcycle listed as parked, and a 2024 Mercedes listed as traveling north and going straight ahead. QNS described the 2018 motorcycle as a Yamaha R1 and the 2021 Yamaha as stationary on the exit ramp.
QNS reported that Santiago later collided with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van driven by a 47-year-old man. The official record classifies the Mercedes as a station wagon/sport utility vehicle.
The crash was reported near Exit 12A by Flushing Meadows Corona Park
QNS placed the collision on the Van Wyck Expressway near Flushing Meadows Corona Park, with Santiago traveling north toward Exit 12A for College Point Boulevard. The official record lists the crash on the Van Wyck Expressway at 7:15 p.m.
Police said one rider left and the investigation continued
QNS reported that the 47-year-old Mercedes driver remained at the crash site, while the rider of the stationary Yamaha motorcycle left the scene. The NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad was still investigating, according to the report.