Flagger Killed in Queens Work Zone After Vehicle Strike

South Ozone Park, Queens, September 23, 2025

News Summary

A construction flagger directing traffic in a marked safety zone on the Nassau Expressway was struck and killed when a vehicle entered the work area at high speed. First responders pronounced the worker dead at the scene; the driver initially fled but was located about a mile away, arrested and charged with homicide-related counts and leaving the scene. Officials say the victim wore required protective gear and stress the importance of slowing down and obeying work zone controls. The report also covers a lender expanding non-recourse construction loans and Central New York roadwork and detour updates.

Construction Industry Roundup: New Non‑Recourse Loans, A Deadly Work‑Zone Crash, and Central New York Roadwork

A major private lender announced an expanded construction lending program that could unlock large projects nationwide, while a roadside construction flagger was killed this week in a high‑speed hit‑and‑run and state crews warned drivers about widespread lane closures and detours across Central New York. The three developments underscore how financing, safety and local work zones are intersecting across the construction sector this fall.

Big new lending program aims to boost construction starts

Trinity Street Capital Partners has launched an expanded non‑recourse construction lending program that covers loans from $25 million to $250 million. The program targets experienced property owners and investors in the top 200 U.S. metropolitan areas and will initially underwrite multifamily, industrial, self‑storage and retail projects, with office and hospitality included under different terms.

Loan‑to‑cost limits will allow up to 85% of cost for multifamily, industrial and self‑storage projects, and up to 65% of cost for office, retail and hospitality. Construction rates start at 30‑day LIBOR + 2.50%. The firm said it is combining these non‑recourse construction loans with bridge and permanent finance options to win major deals. Its permanent program is originating loans at rates beginning at the 10‑year U.S. Treasury + 150 basis points and can reach up to 75% of value.

The lender positions itself as a source of non‑recourse, high‑leverage senior and subordinate debt as well as preferred equity. Minimum investment sizes start at $10 million for income‑producing anchored retail, office, industrial, multifamily, manufactured housing communities and self‑storage across the U.S. The firm publishes details and contact info on its website at www.trinitystreetcp.com. The announcement was distributed via a press release service and credited to the firm.

Construction flagger killed in Queens hit‑and‑run

Authorities say a 44‑year‑old flagger was killed on Friday morning while working a roadside construction shift on the Nassau Expressway near the Van Wyck Expressway in South Ozone Park, Queens. The worker was standing in a designated safety zone and wearing required safety gear when she was struck. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

Police arrested a 25‑year‑old driver, who faces multiple charges including second‑degree manslaughter, second‑degree assault, leaving the scene of a fatality and related counts. Court records described the driver as traveling at a high rate of speed in a 25 mph zone, crashing through traffic drums placed to mark a lane closure and striking the flagger. The driver initially left the scene and was found about a mile away; he was treated for injuries and later taken into custody. Prosecutors say his license was suspended multiple times. He was arraigned and held on bond pending future court dates.

State and local officials urged motorists to slow down, move over and respect work zones. The fatality has prompted renewed calls for attention to roadside worker safety during construction and maintenance operations.

Central New York: expect cones, detours and lane shifts

The state Department of Transportation published weekly roadwork updates covering numerous counties in Central New York, warning drivers that orange cones and detour signs would be widespread over the course of the last week of August and advising motorists to watch for lane closures and full road shutdowns beginning Sept. 22, 2025. Travelers are encouraged to check 511NY.org for live updates and detour maps.

Selected project details and traffic impacts

• Utica: I‑90 bridge over North Genesee Street is under rehabilitation; southbound drivers headed downtown will be detoured north on Genesee, then Riverside Drive, then back south.
• Boonville: Lane closures and flaggers on Route 12D, Route 294, Route 46 and Schuyler Street for striping; crews finishing punch list items at Route 12/12D including drainage, paving and sidewalks.
• Clinton: Lane closures on Route 12B and Route 412 for curb, sidewalk and drainage work; long‑term lane shifts near McDonald’s and over Oriskany Creek.
• New Hartford (Town and Village): Culvert replacement on Middle Settlement Road (Route 5B) with lane shifts/closures; shoulder closures and shifts at Genesee Street and Oxford Road during paving and curb work.
• Whitestown, Whitesboro, Verona, Rome: Utility work, conduit, curb and sidewalk work with lane closures and temporary signals; rolling shoulder closures and detour patterns around bridge work.
• Frankfort, Ilion, Dolgeville, German Flatts: Full closures and local traffic patterns in place for sewer replacement, conduit work and bridge repairs.
• Other: Multiple village and town routes across Herkimer, Oneida, Madison, Fulton, Hamilton and Montgomery counties will see lane shifts, culvert replacements, paving, shoulder closures and signal‑controlled work zones.

The combined developments — an expanded private construction credit line, an on‑the‑job fatality and broad state roadwork — highlight how financing availability, field safety and day‑to‑day traffic disruptions are shaping construction activity. Lenders offering higher leverage and permanent takeout options may help projects move forward, but the risk to workers and the public in active zones remains acute, and drivers are being asked to change behavior to reduce deadly incidents.

FAQ

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Additional Resources

• ABC7NY: Driver charged in Queens work-zone killing
• Wikipedia: Nassau Expressway
• amNewYork: Hit-and-run driver arraigned in Queens
• Google Search: Queens work zone hit-and-run 2025
• Construction Equipment: Video — New York construction worker killed in hit-and-run
• Google Scholar: work zone flagger struck / work zone safety
• CNY News: Central New York construction — September W4
• Encyclopedia Britannica: New York State Department of Transportation
• Newsday: NY scaffold law & affordability (editorial)
• Google News: NY scaffold law affordability construction

Author: Construction CA News

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