A Manhattan college student was killed when a hit-and-run driver slammed into him in Queens, throwing him to the ground, cops said.

Niklas Ahern, 29, of Tribeca, was crossing Continental Avenue near Slocum Crescent in Forest Hills around 5:30 p.m. Sunday when a car heading north on the same street suddenly crashed into him, hurling his body onto the pavement before taking off, police said.

Ahern was rushed to Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The driver was still at large by early Monday.

Ahern was a sophomore criminal justice major at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, a school spokesman confirmed.

He lived with his mother, Susan Ahern, neighbors said.

“She’s in shock,” one neighbor, Patricia Harris, said of Susan. “She says she’s numb. She’s holding up as well as a mom could during this time. All I did was cry. There are no words. You just cry, hug, show love. I’m hoping time will heal all wounds.”

“I watched this kid grow up, he’s like my godson. He was a typical young man, got into some mischief, got into this and that like anyone else,” she recalled. “He wasn’t a bad child, he was just a child. He was somebody’s son. It’s the hardest thing for a parent. I’m gonna go upstairs and see Susan.”

A 60-year-old neighbor who only gave his first name, John, called Ahern “a good kid.”

“He was going to school, he was into sports,” John said. “I just saw him a few days ago. He was starting to begin on real estate. He was just a friendly, friendly guy. He would help any of the old people. He’s very well-loved. He was always saying hello.”

“He would play basketball a lot, he was very active,” John added. “He was a very respectable kid. If you had bags with you, he would help you out.”

Duane Rouse, a long-time friend of Ahern’s, said he was shaken by the news.

“I heard he flew seven or eight feet into the air,” Rouse said. “I was in denial, I didn’t believe it… Then I kind of broke down and prayed, got drunk. He was a good kid, he loved women, he loved animals, he had a dog…Why did he have to go over there? It’s not his place in Queens, he don’t belong over there.”

Ahern’s father also passed away recently, according to Rouse.

The intersection was highly trafficked and several people were seen blowing past a stop sign Monday morning.

Mick Mulvaney, a member of the local community board who has lived in the area for 40 years, said the street is also very dark at night — and he testified in front of the board about his concerns.

“They redid the roads and now after getting past the LIRR, [drivers are] going 50 instead of 20,” Mulvaney said. “It’s totally dark and the LED lights they replaced the regular with, it just doesn’t help. Since it’s a historical area, they keep it darker. We have flooding, dark streets and mugging when people come from the subway.”

“This is what happens during rush hour,” he added. “No one obeys the law, they speed without a care. This corner, in particular, is really bad. Extremely dark and people don’t care to stop at the signs or even go slow. We need to fix this immediately. This is turning into the boulevard of death for kids … We’re just angry.”