A Jersey City man has been charged with reckless assault after the SUV he was driving on the Staten Island Expressway early yesterday morning flipped, killing one of the six passengers riding in the vehicle with him. Nigel Saiboo, 41, could face further charges if his blood tests come back showing any alcohol or drugs in his system. more ›

A Brooklyn man was charged with criminally negligent homicide and DWI after an early Sunday morning car crash that left his girlfriend dead. Jose Sandoval had been on the Brooklyn-bound side of the Staten Island Expressway when he crashed into the guardrail near the Richmond Avenue exit, and Lucia Negrete was thrown from the car. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an officer struck on 42nd St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan, a bomb threat on 76th St. and Amsterdam Ave. in Manhattan, and a shooting on Mayfair Dr. in Brooklyn.
• Don't speed (108 m.p.h.), at night (2:30 a.m.), while drunk (.113 BAC), while tailgating and driving erratically, on an urban highway (Staten Island Expressway.) One young Brighton Beach resident didn't get the memo it seems.
• Councilman Leroy Comrie's efforts to halt the branding of soft and alcohol-based drinks "OG Nation," was recently successful, with the renaming of Larry Johnson and Jim Brown's snack and beverage company "Hall of Fame Beverages." No word on what the fate of the"Thug Chips" snacks brand is.
• After Hillary Clinton put her own money on the line by loaning $5 million of her own cash to her campaign, backers have ponied up $7.1 million in additional funding. The beauty of democracy: it brings a tear to our eye.
• Unfortunately, as police arrived at the Staten Island 9/11 Memorial today, a man shot himself in the head and died.
• The FDA is now questioning the safety of a widely used Botox [botulinum toxin] in injection as a beauty treatment. Thousands of New York women would love to express outrage at the revelation, but simply can't.
• Grub Street points out that one can do more than just eat at IHOP, one can now wear IHOP. And that means much more than just throwing up a half-stack of flapjacks on yourself at 5 a.m. after too much "syrup." We're talking IHOP apparel.
• Good question: New York City has its Bravest, Finest, Strongest, and Boldest, but what about the lawyers employed by the City. Do Jack McCoy and the legions of actual city attorneys who've served as his inspiration deserve an appellation? Suggestions welcome.

Yesterday afternoon, a tractor-trailer dangled from the side of the Staten Island Expressway. Authorities believe the driver, James Christian of North Carolina, may have lost control of the rig when another car stopped short. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A hostage situation at Rockaway Boulevard and 147th Street in Queens, a train job at East 180 St in the Bronx and a pedestrian was struck at West 66th and Amsterdam in Manhattan
• The disgruntled former employee who shot and killed a former supervisors and injured two others at Co-op City is claiming self-defense.
• The Politicker finds out that Lieutenant Governor David Paterson supports non-citizen voting (but Paterson is quick to point out he didn't speak to the Spitzer administration about his views)
• The city sold less Snapple, the official drink of the city, than projected because of too much vandalism at vending machines, which perhaps proves it really is a NYC drink.
• The driver of a Volvo died during an accident on the Staten Island Expressway this morning; a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road hit the Volvo and a Cadillac Escalade.
• The Bouwerie Lane Theatre will house a residence, a retailer on the bottom floor and perhaps a hotel, according to Lost City.
• How one Hollywood couple with child likes to personalize their hotel room whenever they vist NYC (last item).
• In addition to Oprah's Book Club, Jonathan Franzen also hates the Broadway adaptation of Spring Awakening.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-2 tornado touched down in Bay Ridge this morning. That category of tornado has winds between 111 to 135 miles per hours, and roofs were blown off buildings and trees fell on top of cars and in the middle of roads. A resident told NY1, "I saw a mass of just leaves turning and it was just dark, like a dark mass. I was afraid and I saw the tree come down. I ran back inside and you could hear the wind. It sounded like a freight train coming through at full speed. It was like ‘whooooomp.’" more ›

A NJ family was driving along the Staten Island Expressway when their minivan crashed into a tree off the side of the road. Highway police were able to save three young children, ages 2, 3, and 9, but could not save their parents, as the front of the minivan was "fully enguled in flames" according to one of the police officers in the Post. Arturo Lopez-Mendez and Christina Guardado of Elizabeth, NJ were killed in the crash, which occured around 4AM yesterday, but children David, Catherine (pictured) and Elizabeth were treated at Staten Island University Hospital for cuts and burns. A driver who witnessed the accident saw police up ahead and alerted them; the police were able to break through windows to retrieve the children. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash. more ›