A 19-year-old girl named Suri Meza is currently clinging to life after being hit by an SUV while skateboarding to her summer classes last Thursday morning. The incident occurred at the intersection of Neptune Avenue and Brighton 10th Street in Brighton Beach, according to authorities and a tearful statement from her distraught mother.
Meza was riding her skateboard in a designated crosswalk when a 43-year-old man driving a 2024 Hyundai Tucson made a right turn, slamming into her. Off-duty FDNY Firefighter Jose Cristales, who happened to live nearby, was alerted to the incident by his frantic sister.
I quickly grabbed my shorts and my shoes and ran downstairs unprepared for the situation,” Cristales recounted. And then I see the young lady … So immediately my heart is racing. How could this happen? A lot of things were going through my head, but everything was slow motion.
Upon realizing that Meza was pinned under the wheel of the SUV, Cristales asked a nearby construction crew for assistance in pulling her out from underneath the vehicle. He then began performing CPR on her until she regained consciousness and started breathing again. The FDNY’s Engine 246 and EMTs from Station 43 soon arrived at the scene to take over, ultimately transporting Meza to NYU Langone-Brooklyn Hospital in stable condition.
Suri Meza’s mother, Guerita Flores, spoke with The Post by phone while visiting her daughter at the hospital, where monitors could be heard beeping in the background. Right now her health is in critical condition,” Flores said, as she tearfully recounted how Suri had dedicated herself to school and dreamt of attending college.
Meza is Flores’ oldest child; she described her daughter as kind and loving towards her younger brothers. The driver responsible for the accident, Saddam Tufail, has been arrested and faces charges for failing to yield to a pedestrian and failing to exercise due care. He was released on a desk appearance ticket according to police.
The community continues to rally around Suri Meza as she fights for her life in the hospital. Friends, family members, and neighbors have all expressed their support and concern for the young girl who had been working hard towards her dreams before this tragic accident occurred.
