A 7-year-old boy died crying for his mother Thursday after a Mercedes SUV driven by a 73-year-old man slammed into a Bronx chicken restaurant where the child was eating with his family, police and witnesses said.

“It was a bad scene,” said Victor Robles, who witnessed the aftermath of Ethan Villavicencio being struck at Kennedy Fried Chicken on Westchester Avenue in Pelham Bay. “I saw the little boy on the ground yelling for his mother. His father was banged up, as was his little daughter.”

The child’s 5-year-old sister and 34-year-old dad were, in fact, badly injured inside the eatery when the car smashed through the front at 5:30 p.m.

Another witness said the restaurant was filled with blood, with the boy’s sister and father looking in worse condition than he did.

“The father had blood all over him, so did the little girl,” said that witness, James Chambers.

“I saw the boy on the floor crying. I thought he would live. That’s just a shame, a 7-year-old dying like that.”

Cops said the vehicle, driven by Bronx resident Kwasi Oduro, plowed into the victims when it smashed through the storefront.



Sources said Oduro mistakenly threw his vehicle into reverse before slamming into the eatery.

The out-of-control driver then allegedly took off in the SUV, but was quickly arrested about two blocks from the scene.

A man had first tried to keep the driver from fleeing, a witness said.

“One gentleman opened the door to try to grab the driver out to keep him from getting away,” said Luis Cruz.

“He [the driver] just pushed the gas and the person just couldn’t hold on.”

Robles said Oduro was eventually tracked down by another good Samaritan.

“A witness chased the old man’s car and stopped him,” Robles said. “He looked confused, like he didn’t know what he had done.”

The father suffered lacerations to the head, while the little girl sustained wounds to her arms.

They were rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where they were listed in stable condition Thursday night.

Ethan was pronounced dead when he reached the hospital.

Oduro who taken to the 45th Precinct station house Thursday night and charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. He was expected to be arraigned at Bronx Criminal Court.

The NYPD’s Highway Collision Investigation Squad will continue with the investigation.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona