After being hit repeatedly by a 30-year-old male, an elderly Sikh man was injured and subsequently he passed away after being involved in a car accident in New York City, according to a media source.

The victim of an October 19 assault, Jasmer Singh, 66, was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Centre in Queens and died the next day from brain damage.

According to the New York-based Daily News, Gilbert Augustin was taken into custody on October 20 and charged with assault and manslaughter, among other lesser offences.
Around 12 p.m. on October 19, Singh and Augustin, according to the police, collided on the Van Wyck Motorway near Hillside Avenue in Kew Gardens. Both cars sustained dents and scrapes.
The prosecution said, citing witnesses, that when Singh sought to dial 911, he witnessed a man grabbing the phone out of his hands and saying, “No police, no police.”

As the two clashed, Singh got out of the car and followed Augustin, hoping to get his phone, according to the Daily News.

Witnesses alleged that Augustin struck Singh three times in the head and face as he was returning to his car after he got his phone back.

A criminal complaint states that Augustin got back into his Ford Mustang and drove off, while Singh collapsed to the ground.

About two miles from the crash scene, Augustin was apprehended by the police. It was discovered that his Alabama licence plate did not match his New York registration and that his driver’s licence was suspended.

Augustin was arraigned in Queens on October 21 and has since been detained without bond. According to a police spokesperson, the event is under investigation by the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force, although they believe it was caused by an automobile accident.

New York Mayor Eric Adams responded to the incident on Sunday by stating that he will be meeting this week with Sikh leaders to talk about the concerns of the community in the wake of the tragedy.

“Jasmer Singh cherished his hometown and was deserving of much more than his untimely demise. I want our Sikh community to know that you have our deepest sympathies, on behalf of all New Yorkers. “You have our sacred vow that we will protect you and reject the hatred that claimed this innocent life,” Adams wrote on X.

“Our team will be meeting with Sikh leaders this week to discuss the needs of this critical community in this challenging moment,” he stated.

The incident happened a few days after 19-year-old Mani Sandhu in New York City was attacked many times and had an attempt made to take off his turban while riding an MTA bus.

According to Sandhu, he was “shaken and angry” by the hateful onslaught.

The FBI announced last week that it had logged 198 instances of anti-Sikh hate crimes in its annual report on hate crimes data for 2022.

Sikhs continue to be the second most targeted group in the country, according to the FBI, which stated that victimisations of hate crimes motivated by religion were at an all-time high, having increased by 17% since 2021.