The death of a Bangladeshi immigrant named Mohammed Shakawat Hossain has shaken up the Queens community. The forty-seven-year-old Lyft driver was tragically killed by twenty-two-year-old Erik Chimborazo early in the morning of June 13th.
The Lyft driver was returning home after the last ride of his shift when he was t-boned by Chimborazo in a Queens intersection. Hossain’s last text to his wife before the tragic incident stated “I’m coming home right now.” Chimborazo’s blood alcohol content superseded the legal alcohol limit, and his Ford Explorer did not have insurance or an inspection certification. The drunk motorist also lacked a proper license. He claims to have had three beers, but it is suspected he was even drunker than thought. Hossain’s crash took place at an intersection, which is notoriously known as a dangerous spot by the many residents that came forward to speak about what they saw the morning of the collision.
According to the Daily News, residents have fought for speed bumps and speed cameras for years to decrease the dangers known to this intersection. Traffic is said to be bad around the scene of the incident. Hossain’s family was preparing for a vacation, but the death of their beloved family member has caused anguish and pain as they make funeral arrangements. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family so that proper funeral arrangements can be made. More than sixty-six thousand dollars has been raised of the two-hundred-thousand-dollar goal currently.
The drunk motorist has been charged with vehicular manslaughter and a DWI. Hossain’s final passenger who was in the car at the time of the accident was aided for a broken femur. However, Mohammed S. Hossain was taken to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center where he passed away. Erik Chimborazo was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center (EHC) where he had his blood alcohol content assessed, which was significantly higher than the legal limit.
Chimborazo’s bail was set to ten-thousand dollars. He was discharged from Rikers Island and had a court date on June 17th, 2021. The family of Mohammed S. Hossain has been trying to raise awareness for the victim and issue of drunk-driving. Many leading Instagram pages known to the South-Asian community such as @bangla.bolo have been raising awareness for the victim. Other Instagram pages that commonly provide updates on NY crime, COVID-19 alerts, and more, such as @coronavirusny, have also spoken up about the issue. Instagram users have expressed a deep sense of rage and sadness for the victim and his family in the comment sections of these pages’ posts. Many have also questioned whether fifteen years in prison is enough. Others have tagged the governor and mayor for recognition of the incident. For many in the South-Asian community, this issue has hit hard. The American Dream is often something many immigrants try to achieve when they migrate to the United States, just like Mohammed S. Hossain did as he parted ways from his homeland, Bangladesh.
A few students were asked for their thoughts on the fatal car accident. They all expressed a personal sense of grief and remembrance of their family’s sacrifices when they left their homeland to come to the country of possibilities, the United States. QC junior Sarwar Nazrul, a computer science major of Bangladeshi descent, stated, “I feel like all immigrant families worry every time their family members go out for work. Drunk driving is the most irresponsible thing to do. It is the worst crime ever.” This statement echoed the voices of students and Instagram commenters that expressed the struggles immigrant families endure as they sacrifice everything they have for a better life. Mohammed S. Hossain leaves behind three children, Samin (14), Lyba (7), and Labeen (2) along with his wife, Kulsuma Jahan.
