Widower questions link between fatal crash and suspect's prior anti-Jewish vandalism

In late May, Cara Trager, a 71-year-old journalist and long-time member of the Hollis Hills Jewish community, was fatally injured when a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Dawood Faisl crashed into two cars in Queens, sending one into a crosswalk where she and her husband were crossing. Prosecutors say Faisl was traveling well above the 35-mph limit, ran two red lights, and fled on foot before bystanders restrained him. He was later indicted on manslaughter, assault and reckless-driving charges, but has not faced a hate-crime accusation for the crash.

On July 31, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force charged Faisl with multiple counts of criminal mischief as a hate crime for vandalizing Bagels & Co., a Jewish-owned bagel shop that displayed Israeli flags. The shop is located near the crash site, prompting Michael Trager to question whether earlier action on the vandalism could have averted his wife’s death. While Trager does not believe his wife was a deliberate target, he highlighted the area’s predominantly Jewish population and expressed frustration during the suspect’s arraignment. He also recounted regaining consciousness after the impact and checking his own survival before realizing his wife had died.