Grisly Account Of Yesterday's Sanitation Truck Accident

via News12

Yesterday, a pedestrian was fatally hit by a private sanitation truck in an accident at the Myrtle Avenue and Broadway intersection in Brooklyn. The victim, who was identified by police as a black male in his 60s, was struck by an employee of Yankel's Demolition and Rubbish Removal while crossing the street; he was DOA on the scene, and the driver hasn't been charged with anything. A reader wrote us with this eyewitness account of the accident:

I was there and saw the entire thing happen and was probably the first person to call the police. Granted, he was standing where there wasn't a cross walk, that aside, the driver appeared not to even know he hit someone. People were screaming for him to stop while the man was struck and his body was rolling under the chassis of the truck like a rag doll. He did slow down, practically stop and then continued to drive over and finished the poor guy off. It was VERY gruesome and I am still really distraught about wtf I witnessed yesterday morning.
I was rear ended by a private sanitation truck last year and know too well how carelessness these particular truck drivers are and how they disregard the laws of the road. I see them plowing through residential areas all the time, running red lights and just being careless. Even if hypothetically the pedestrian was at fault, as a driver you still should be paying attention and trying to avoid any kind of accident. How many more people have to die?

According to News12, the victim used crutches because he suffered from back problems, and friends say that he frequented the methadone clinic across the street from where he was hit.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on March 19, 2011 10:48 AM

Comments [rss]

m015094

The guy that was killed was jaywalking.

No sympathy here.

Mark B

Arrest the driver.
Cancel the company's contract with the city.
Help the victim's family sue them into oblivion, thus leaving the city's $$ out of it.

whitecastlerock

that description is just horrifying-very sad. Arrest the driver already though

BBc Web Hosting

The victim should be fully cared till full recovery by the sanitation company, due to the act of their reckless driver........

Rocknrope

I missed the news report that resurrection was now possible. I'll have to google that.

Inkognita

Somehow I doubt that any amount of care will restore life to the victim.

Guest

Pay city workers less and less and this is what you get! Unskilled drivers who are overworked trying to peck out a living. I feel for the gentleman that died and for anyone who had to witness this.

jaycjay

Nice spin, but the driver isn't a "city worker."

Guest

No "Spin" here Jaycjay.
I was merely stating that we should have skilled driver with a better work environment. Regardless of whom he/she works for. Don't you agree?
Now, go back to watching Fox news.

D S

When you put "city workers" in there when it's clearly not a city worker, you're putting a spin on it.

Guest

Let's try this. I know it's really complicated for you so I'll break it down for you.
Pay SANITATION WORKERS less and less and this is what you get! Unskilled drivers who are overworked trying to peck out a living.
Does that help?
I think I know what D.S. stands for now.

m015094

Lumn8tion is wrong, but too stupid/stubborn to admit it.

Guest

I may be stupid/stubborn but I dont watch Fox news. Pull your head out

robingee

Come on dude. What does FOX News have to do with anything. Just admit your mistake and you'll stop getting crap. Be a man, man!

Guest

I DID admit I was wrong DUDE. I wrote city workers and that was incorrect.
Now, my one and only point was to be: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
THE END.

robingee

OR IS IT???

dum dum DUMMMMM

Guest

Ha ha ha!
I hope so. I'm tired of this argument.

Chris Rushing

Thats my stop and it was very very disturbing going to work that day.
Cops had their cars blocking the body, but onlooker from the Myrtle/Broadway stop had a bird's eye view of the whole thing. I didn't want to look, but there was definitely a crowd on that walkway.

ellaminnow

I used to live a few blocks away, and that intersection in particular is a nightmare. Cars and trucks blowing through red lights, buses stopping without pulling all the way over, two blind spots converging on a five way intersection, and tons of pedestrians heading into and out of the subway stop. I was half-convinced I'd die there, and I can't say I miss it.

drew_o

Sanitation trucks, whether private or city-operated are often the most flagrant violators of driving laws. Even sanitation trucks outfitted with snow plows are aggressive and reckless - while operating on icy streets in poor visibility situations.

And why not? In most cases of driver negligence or carelessness that results in destruction, injury or death, the sanitation truck drivers will not be charged with anything.