A 52-year-old man was killed by a dump truck in a hit and run accident in the Bronx, after reportedly fleeing the scene of another car crash which had occurred earlier that same morning. The fatality occurred near the intersection of Country Club Rd. and Mac Donough Pl. in Pelham Bay on March 12, 2019.
Initial reports indicate that the first accident occurred near McClean Ave. and Kimball Ave. in Yonkers, just north of Van Cortlandt Park. The victim reportedly left the scene of that crash and was pursued down the Bronx River Parkway by the other motorist involved. It seems that the victim was still being pursued when he parked his vehicle near Bruckner Blvd. and Country Club Rd., realizing that he had suffered three flat tires either in the crash or resulting chase.
The victim then “jumped out of his car and was trying to cross the street” when he was struck and killed by a dump truck about 16 miles from the scene of the first accident, according to police. The truck proceeded to leave the scene without stopping, and police are actively searching for it.
The intersection where the victim was killed is a busy one, because it is where traffic from 95 North lets out and converges with traffic from the adjacent service road. “I’m surprised this hasn’t happened sooner,” said one local in an interview with ABC7NY. “You got the traffic coming right off the highway, so you’ve got guys coming flying around. And if you look at the neighborhood itself, the narrow winding roads, you’ve got a lot of kids that don’t respect speed limits.”
ABC7NY further reported that it is unclear if the truck had just gotten off of 95 North, or if it was travelling along the service road when the accident occurred. Police are now looking for the dump truck, which may have a blue container, and urge anybody with information regarding this accident to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 800-577-8477.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim of this tragedy, and to the family and friends that he leaves behind.
While there are many unanswered questions in this case, the most important ones concern the truck which killed the 52-year-old victim. Did the driver run a red light? Was he trying to turn, and failed to properly survey the area he was turning into? Did he simply not expect to see a pedestrian so early? We can’t answer these questions without much more information, but video of the incident was captured, so hopefully investigators and friends and family of the victim can get the answers they deserve.
While we should not jump to conclusions regarding the liability of the parties involved in this incident, statistics about motor vehicle crashes at intersections can give us clues as to how it might have happened. In one study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 96% of the 787,236 accidents studied were at least partly attributed to driver error. Of these 756,570 accidents attributed to a driver, the top reasons cited were:
- Inadequate surveillance (44.1%)
- False assumption of another’s action (8.4%)
- Turning with an obstructed view (7.8%)
- Illegal maneuvers (6.8%)
- Internal distraction (5.7%)
Furthermore, accidents caused by inadequate surveillance are 6 times more likely at intersection crashes, as opposed to non-intersection crashes, while performing illegal maneuvers or making bad assumptions about another’s actions was found to be 4 times as likely to cause an accident at an intersection.
Although nothing can ever undo the trauma caused by such an unnecessary death, hopefully the driver of the truck involved can be quickly located so that answers can be found, and some level of justice can be served.
If you or someone you love is in need of a free, no-obligation legal consultation following a motor vehicle accident, call 212-736-5300.