NYC road rage incident escalates; Roberto Velez Alvarez of Franklin Square killed after slashing driver's tires, police say
A Franklin Square man died after police said he was involved in a traffic crash that escalated into a road rage incident Wednesday afternoon on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The NYPD said Roberto Velez Alvarez, 54, was driving a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado when he got into a crash with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Andre Mosby, 26, of Manhattan on East 60th Street at about 2:15 p.m.
Following the collision, Velez Alvarez exited his SUV with a knife and after exchanging words with Mosby, slashed tires on the Volkswagen, police said in a news release.
Mosby's Jetta then "accelerated rapidly," hitting Velez Alvarez and pinning him against a building facade, police said. The Franklin Square man was taken by an EMS crew to a hospital, where police said he died of blunt-force trauma.
Mosby was arrested at the scene and charged with assault and manslaughter, police said.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office said Mosby was arraigned Friday in New York County Criminal Court where bail was set at $50,000 cash or bond.
It was unclear if Mosby is represented by counsel.
Police said the investigation is continuing.
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John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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