Corner Named for Teen Killed by Delivery Truck
Queens officials co-named a Woodside intersection after 16-year-old Jael Zhinin, who died in a June 2024 crash, as a councilmember pushes new daylighting rules.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Civic Engagement
Council Member Won co-named the southeast corner of 46th Street and 47th Avenue in Woodside "Jael Zhinin Place" on Monday, the day Jael would have turned 19. Driver Boubacar Barry was indicted on 11 counts, including negligent homicide, in the June 26, 2024 crash that killed her.
Why it matters
The co-naming keeps attention on a fatal crash involving two girls in a crosswalk with a walk signal at a Queens intersection. Won tied the death to a broader policy failure and introduced Intro 511 to require daylighting at city intersections.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz indicted driver Boubacar Barry on 11 counts, including negligent homicide, after he allegedly sped away before police stopped him a block away. Intro 511 would require daylighting at every city intersection, but the extraction does not report a vote or hearing date.
The players
Won
Council Member Won represents the Woodside area, introduced Intro 511, and led the co-naming of the corner.
Melinda Katz
Melinda Katz is the Queens District Attorney who indicted driver Boubacar Barry on 11 counts.
Boubacar Barry
Boubacar Barry is the delivery truck driver charged in the crash that killed Jael Zhinin.
The details
Jael Zhinin, 16, was struck by a delivery truck turning left from 47th Avenue onto 46th Street while she and her 8-year-old sister Leslie were in a crosswalk with a walk signal. Jael died at the scene and Leslie was hospitalized with serious injuries; Won called the death a policy failure and blessed corner ceremony was led by Fr. Richard Conlin.
Timeline
June 26, 2024: Jael and Leslie Zhinin struck by delivery truck
July 2024: Barry indicted on 11 counts by Queens District Attorney
November 2, 2026: Corner co-named Jael Zhinin Place on what would have been her 19th birthday
Civic Engagement Context
Intro 511, introduced by Council Member Won, would ban parking or standing within 20 feet of a crosswalk at every city intersection. The bill links an individual fatal crash to a proposed citywide change in street design rules.
If Intro 511 passes, drivers would be barred from parking or standing within 20 feet of crosswalks at city intersections, changing curb use near pedestrian crossings. Residents near busy crosswalks could see new curb restrictions as the bill moves forward.
The takeaway
Pedestrian safety rules are being debated at the level of individual intersections, and Intro 511 shows how one crash can shape citywide policy proposals. Residents can track council action on daylighting to see whether curb rules near crosswalks change.
Further reading
Explore more local coverage in Civic Engagement to see how neighborhood advocacy shapes city policy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by QNS.
