‘I called 911 right away’: Homeowners recount horrific aftermath of deadly Staten Island crash

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — “Traumatized.”

That’s how two neighbors who live on Jules Drive in Graniteville described themselves after they witnessed the horrific aftermath of a crash that obliterated their backyard fences and furniture, and left a fatally wounded passenger ejected onto the debris.

One homeowner had just gotten back inside his home after taking out the garbage when he and his wife heard an “explosive thundering” sound coming from their backyard.

“It destroyed the backyard. I just heard a really loud noise and I called 911 right away because, when I checked the backyard, everything was wrecked,” the wife told the Advance/SILive.com on Tuesday. “They told me to run out and get the license plate number.”

The homeowner wishes to remain anonymous due to the litigation she will have to pursue and fear of potential reprisal.

The couple then ran out to help the crash victims, and saw two people pacing around the mangled vehicle. The homeowner went up to one of the individuals and asked for the license plate number, as the 911 operator requested.

“As soon as I asked him, he ran off the scene,” said the homeowner, still in visible shock. “He just fled. He literally just sprinted and left.”

Police confirmed the homeowner’s account that the unidentified driver of the black BMW sedan fled the scene before cops arrived. The witness added that a third passenger, who survived the impact, appeared to be in a daze after the crash but did not flee the scene.

A male passenger, who has since been identified as 26-year-old Usman Chughtai of Elm Park, was ejected from the rear seat of the sedan and pronounced dead at the…