The Baychester community gathered for a vigil on Friday to remember a Bronx man who died in a car crash earlier this week. News 12 was told 25-year-old Andre Beadle was a well-known car enthusiast and known for creating content on YouTube.
Police said Beadle was involved in a single-car crash shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday on the Nassau Expressway in Queens.
“He was always impacting the young people in the community, telling them to go higher [in life],” said Bishop Gloria Mckay, of the All Nations Tabernacle of Prayer International Inc.
“He was just a great kid, great kid,” said Justin Rivera, a member of the car community through Global Street Films. “[He was] always laughing, had a great personality.”
Investigators said Beadle was driving a 2023 BMW at high-rate speed, when he lost control of the sedan, veered off the road and hit a metal pole.
Authorities told News 12 that Beadle was ejected from the car and taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“The racing community doesn’t only include street racing, all these other things that may be seen as bad,” Rivera said. “There were a lot of legal track events, and a lot of events nationwide, that [Beadle] participated in.”
Rivera said Beadle’s racing united drivers and led to sponsorships, which brought revenue to local car shops.
“The impact overall was great for our community and the Bronx,” Rivera said.
Some of Beadle’s social media YouTube subscribers, like Aldrin and Sharmela Joseph, also attended Friday’s memorial.
“Loss of life is always difficult for everybody,” said Aldrin.
“He was very young, and his passion was cars,” said Sharmela. “It’s sad that he died so early at a young age.”
Along with the vigil, there was a growing memorial outside of Beadle’s Baychester home.
As for the crash, police said the investigation is ongoing.