Family of Hit-and-Run Victim Seeks Justice
The family of a 74-year-old man from Queens, struck by a hit-and-run driver over three years ago, is relieved that the alleged perpetrator is finally in custody. They hope he faces a “full sentence.”
Bee Tran’s family expressed their feelings after Florin Stoian, a 30-year-old Romanian man with a troublesome history of crimes worldwide, was extradited to New York to face manslaughter charges. This relates to the fatal hit-and-run incident involving a beloved food delivery driver in 2022.
“I want justice for my brother,” said Hong Tran, 70, in a recent interview. “If you hit someone and just drive away, you’re not a human being. Accidents happen, sure, but you stop and tell the police what happened. He didn’t do that—he fled the scene.”
Feeling somewhat relieved, Hong added, “I feel better now. I’ve been waiting for over three years.”
Authorities allege that Stoian struck Bee Tran on August 14, 2022, while driving the elderly victim’s rented black BMW X6 as she crossed Myrtle Avenue in Ridgewood.
According to prosecutors, after hitting Tran, Stoian zoomed away but later returned to set the car ablaze, causing further damage to nearby structures.
“I went to the police station that night with my daughter and son,” recalled Hong Tran. “We stayed until midnight. They knew who hit my brother thanks to street cameras, but finding him was another story.”
Stoian has been on Interpol’s radar for various crimes in Michigan, Canada, Ireland, and the Netherlands, but was arrested for theft in Germany, where he was serving a three-year sentence when the NYPD identified him as a suspect in the death of Bee Tran.
Last Wednesday, Stoian was brought into the 104th Precinct and charged with manslaughter, negligent homicide, arson, leaving the scene of an accident, criminal mischief, reckless driving, and tampering with evidence.
His attorney, Todd Spodek, maintains Stoian’s innocence and expressed condolences to the family, but the Tran family remains skeptical. “He seems more regretful about being caught,” remarked Tuan Tran, 31, Bee Tran’s nephew. “This isn’t his first encounter with the law, and I doubt he feels true remorse.”
Tuan concluded, “There’s no real sign of sorrow. Those are just hollow words. I want him to face the maximum punishment permitted by law.”
