Tragic Collision Kills Two Friends in Morningside Heights

A corner on the Upper West Side, known to a group of friends as a place to unwind, turned tragic one night when a speeding SUV plunged into a gathering, resulting in two fatalities.

Michael Saint-Hilaire and Jason Negron, who were part of this group, spent their evening on May 15 with laughter and cold cans of Coca-Cola. Friends recount that both Mr. Saint-Hilaire and Mr. Negron enjoyed their night, joking and occasionally smoking, as the pleasant mid-60s weather encouraged them to linger longer.

Mr. Saint-Hilaire rode his motorcycle while wearing his work uniform, with Mr. Negron beside him. They frequently gathered with friends in the area around 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. This spot, shared with Columbia University students and elderly men conversing in Spanish under trees, was familiar territory for them.

As the bars in the vicinity became crowded, the friends noticed a familiar face across the street. Mr. Saint-Hilaire, 35, and Mr. Negron, 46, met this person at the cement median adorned with purple and red flowers. The spot placed them between bike and traffic lanes at around 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, two blocks away, Elvin Suarez, 61, was driving his black Mercedes-Benz SUV towards his Upper West Side residence. The police report indicates that Mr. Suarez’s vehicle brushed against the side of a white SUV, leading him to accelerate.

Mr. Negron, just days before the incident, had celebrated his wife’s birthday with a dinner. Mr. Saint-Hilaire regularly crossed Central Park to reconnect with old friends in his former neighborhood.