A 27-year-old mother from Harlem lost her life early Wednesday morning in Midtown Manhattan after a night out ended in a violent crash. Elise Suomi was riding in the passenger seat of a gray 2024 Tesla Model Y when the car smashed into sidewalk scaffolding on East 42nd Street near Madison Avenue. She had just welcomed a newborn child into the world a short time ago.
The crash happened around 2:43 a.m. right outside 315 Madison Avenue. Police said the vehicle swerved wildly before slamming into the heavy metal scaffolding poles. The impact tore through the structural frames, shattered a nearby public bus stop pole, and ripped a metal city mailbox clean off its base.
Instead of pulling over to check on Suomi, the driver kept going. The wrecked Tesla dragged its damaged frame east down 42nd Street for four full city blocks. A person riding a Citi Bike nearby witnessed the collision and chased after the car, keeping eyes on it until it finally stalled out at Second Avenue.
First responders rushed both women to Bellevue Hospital shortly after officers arrived at the scene. Emergency doctors worked on Suomi, but her injuries were far too severe. She was pronounced dead at the hospital later that morning, leaving behind a baby who will now grow up without ever knowing her mother.
Officers at the scene took the driver, 27-year-old Alejandra Paharsingh, into custody right at the vehicle. Investigators noted that Paharsingh smelled strongly of alcohol and showed clear signs of heavy intoxication. Tests later revealed her blood-alcohol concentration was nearly three times the legal limit.
Police confirmed that the Tesla’s automated driving features were completely turned off at the time of the wreck. Paharsingh was steering the vehicle herself when she lost control on the busy Midtown strip. The NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad took over the case to reconstruct the timeline leading up to the crash.
Paharsingh now faces serious criminal charges, including vehicular manslaughter, driving while ability impaired, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. She remained under police guard while receiving treatment for minor injuries at Bellevue Hospital before her formal arraignment.
Friends and family members in Harlem are now left trying to cope with a sudden, unbearable loss. Suomi was at a point in her life where everything was just beginning. Instead of celebrating new milestones with her young child, her family is now planning a funeral because of a driver’s decision to get behind the wheel while drunk.
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