Ava Conklin Obituary Queens sidewalk: Rockaway Hotel hostess & College student struck and killed by vehicle minutes after sending selfie to family.
College student Ava Conklin spent her last moments taking a humorous selfie and emailing it to her cherished family only minutes before she was struck by a drowsy driver as she waited for a bus on a Queens curb.
The driver of 2021 Hyundai Venue, who was 29 years old, veered off the pavement at Beach 108th St. and Rockaway Beach Blvd. at 2:17 p.m., striking Conklin at the bus stop.
Peyton, her 14-year-old sister, stepped off an MTA bus to meet her older sister and texted Conklin, “I’m here,” only to discover that she was surrounded by the wreckage.
Her sister’s pocketbook and the back of her head on the ground were both things she recognized.
Conklin, 19, sent the selfie at 2:14 p.m. while waiting for a bus to take her and her younger sister on a picnic in Central Park after finishing her shift as a hostess at the posh Rockaway Hotel.
The motorist was detained by police, who subsequently questioned him before releasing him, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. As long as the inquiry is ongoing, he might still be charged.