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[UPDATE] Pedestrian Killed By Sanitation Truck In Crown Heights
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 23, 2014
Modified Feb 23, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Feb 23, 2014
Modified Feb 23, 2014
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A pedestrian was struck and killed by a Sanitation Department garbage truck in Crown Heights this morning as he was attempting to cross the street.
[UPDATE // 5:15 p.m.] An NYPD spokesman said that at around 9:15 a.m. three pedestrians were waiting to cross Carroll Street from south to north. When the signal turned green they stepped out into the street and were struck by a Sanitation truck, which was turning right onto Carroll Street from Kingston Avenue. Gedalia Gruntzweig, 25, was killed, while the other two pedestrians were transported to Kings County Hospital with minor injuries.
The NYPD spokesman acknowledged that it appeared that the pedestrians had the right of way, and said that no summonses had been issued in the case. The investigation is ongoing.
CrownHeights.info that Gruntzweig, originally from the Ukraine, was studying to become a rabbi in Morristown, New Jersey. Sources tell the paper that he was in the city to attend a party for a friend who is getting married in Israel.
Gedalia Gruntzweig (courtesy CrownHeights.info)
The Sanitation Department released this statement:
The Department of Sanitation offers its deepest condolences to the family of the young man lost today, and the entire Crown Heights community. The Department mourns this tragedy, and will work with the Police Department in their full and complete investigation of this accident.
Earlier this morning, another man was killed by a vehicle as he attempted to cross the Van Wyck Expressway. According to an NYPD release, at around 2:10 a.m. police responded to a 911 call of a male running through traffic on the highway between exits 4 and 5, and arrived to find the victim dead in the roadway. The driver of the van that struck him remained at the scene, and the investigation is ongoing. The victim's identity is being withheld pending proper family notification.
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Crown Heights
pedestrian fatalities
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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