By Forum Staff
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Thursday that a South Ozone Park man has been arraigned on an indictment charging him with the death of a construction zone flag person working on the Nassau Expressway in September who was allegedly struck and killed by the man, who allegedly fled the scene.
Daveanand Budhai, 25, was arraigned on Thursday on an eight-count indictment charging him with manslaughter in the second degree, assault in the second degree, leaving the scene without reporting, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the second and third degrees, reckless driving, operating a vehicle at unreasonable speed and failure to reduce speed.
According to the charges, just before 7:30 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2025, Budhai was driving an Infiniti sedan traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed on the Nassau Expressway. Budhai approached Exit 1N, which feeds into the Van Wyck Expressway. That ramp, however, was an active construction zone and the left lane was closed and marked with multiple traffic drums and signage. The posted speed for the ramp was 25 mph.
Photo Courtesy of Google
After hitting Alvarez, Budhai allegedly drove away from the area. He exited the expressway and stopped at 134th Street and South Conduit Avenue.
Budhai allegedly slammed into the traffic drums and then struck Isabel Alvarez, 44, who was the flag person holding a paddle sign that said “STOP/SLOW.” She was also wearing her required safety equipment, including a hard hat and a fluorescent reflective visibility vest.
At impact, Alvarez was thrown approximately 168 feet through the air. Her body landed on the left shoulder of the roadway and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
After hitting Alvarez, Budhai allegedly drove away from the area. He exited the expressway and stopped at 134th Street and South Conduit Avenue—approximately a mile from the scene of the collision. Budhai called 911 to request an ambulance for injuries that he sustained to his hands in the incident.
When police arrived to aid Budhai, the vehicle Budhai drove was observed to have significant front-end damage, including a shattered windshield. There was both blood and glass inside the vehicle and fluorescent markings visible on the hood of the car.
If convicted, Budhai faces up to 22 years in prison.
