QUEENS — A Zambian diplomat was set free without being charged despite hitting a police van in Jamaica and sending two officers to the hospital, sources said.
The diplomat, whose name has not been released, was driving his 2006 BMW east on Hillside Avenue just after midnight Monday, when he sideswiped a marked police van near 180th Street in Jamaica, police said.
According to published reports, the diplomat was suspected of DWI. Police could not confirm the suspected drunken driving.
The two officers inside the car, who sources said were assigned to Transit District 20, were taken to North Shore Hospital in Manhasset with minor injuries.
The diplomat was taken to the 112th Precinct stationhouse, but released without being charged around 2:40 a.m. after claiming diplomatic immunity, sources said.
The Zambian Mission did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.