There appear to be more questions than answers so far as to why a woman exited her moving Uber as it drove on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in New York City early Sunday, November 8, and was fatally struck and killed.
According to the New York Post, the woman was later identified as 37-year-old Chasna Thelemaque, who was sitting in the back of a Toyota RAV4, driving on the westbound expressway and approaching Exit 28 in Brooklyn, before she exited the car and landed on the highway. Another vehicle going in the same direction struck and killed her.
Woman Exits Moving Uber, Gets Fatally Struck by Drunk Driver
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday, November 8, at around 2:30 a.m., when 37-year-old Chasna Thelemaque “exited” a Toyota RAV4, reportedly an Uber, while it was driving on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, approaching Exit 28 in DUMBO.
As Thelemaque fell on the highway, which has a 50 mph speed limit, a Hyundai Elantra struck and killed her. The person driving the vehicle was identified as 29-year-old Destiny Mendez, who was intoxicated, according to police. She now faces several charges, including vehicular assault, vehicular manslaughter, DWI, and driving while ability impaired.
The man who was behind the wheel of the Uber remained at the scene, but it still remains unclear why Thelemaque exited the car.
A Friend Riding With Thelemaque Recounts What She Saw
A friend riding with Thelemaque in the Uber that fatal morning spoke with the New York Daily News. In her account, 40-year-old Areceline Blanks and Thelemaque were heading home from a party, sharing that Thelemaque only consumed two cocktails and showed no signs of being drunk before getting an Uber home.
Blanks told the outlet that she fell asleep in the car and woke up to see Thelemaque opening the rear door and falling onto the highway.
“I fell asleep and then I just woke up and I just turned and I saw her open the door — and she just fell out,” Blanks said. “Then I told the Uber driver, ‘My friend! my friend!’ He braked. We both jumped out of the car. We were like, ‘Where is she? We don’t see her.”
Blanks and the driver soon spotted Thelemaque pinned underneath Mendez’s vehicle. She told the outlet that she has no idea why her friend would open the car door, but wondered whether Thelemaque might have tried to open the door to throw up. She doesn’t believe Thelemaque would have felt sick, however, stating that she “seemed fine” since she didn’t drink much at the party.
NYC Uber Passenger Killed in Shocking Incident After Exiting Moving Vehicle