1-year-old dies after pickup hits stroller in Flushing; driver faces manslaughter count

A 1-year-old boy was killed Sunday morning in Flushing, Queens, when a pickup truck struck the stroller his nanny was pushing. The man prosecutors say was behind the wheel, 57-year-old Elvin Rivera, now faces manslaughter and impaired driving charges.

The crash happened where Murray Street meets 32nd Avenue. According to prosecutors, Rivera was driving a white Chevrolet Silverado that failed to stop at the stop sign there, picked up speed in the intersection and struck the stroller. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died. His nanny suffered pain and an injury to her right arm.

Drug test and an earlier Bronx DWI case

Rivera remained at the scene after the collision. Authorities say he could not pass a sobriety check there, and that screening done on the spot showed cocaine and THC in his system. He already had a pending DWI case in the Bronx dating to April 2026.

“This heartbreaking loss of this baby was completely avoidable,” Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said. Her office alleges that Rivera was impaired by both substances when he started driving that Sunday morning, and that he then ran the stop sign and struck the child.

Charges in the Flushing stroller crash

At his arraignment, Rivera faced counts of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree vehicular manslaughter and second-degree assault. He is also charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving while ability impaired by a combination of drugs or of alcohol and drugs, reckless driving, unlicensed driving and related offenses.

Should he be convicted on the most serious count, he could be sent to prison for as long as five to 15 years. He is scheduled to return to court Oct. 19.