NYPD Vehicle Kills 87-Year-Old WW II Veteran, Minister In Brooklyn

Theauther Love

An 87-year-old Baptist minister and World War II veteran was killed Friday morning after an NYPD patrol vehicle struck him on Eastern Parkway between Dean and Bergen Streets in Brownsville. According to the Post, Theauther Love was taking his morning walk at around 7:20 a.m. when the westbound vehicle hit him. "I saw him this morning. It was a regular day," his widow, Annie Love, told the paper. "He put out the trash and went for his walk. And then…this happened. I will miss him so much."

Love's 60-year-old son, Andrew, asked that the NYPD investigate whether or not the patrol car was speeding. "He was on his way home when that police car hit him. I know that traffic cop had to be speeding. That car wasn't going very slow," Love said. "It went so fast that it killed him instantly." Police said that while they are looking into the incident, "there was no indication of criminality."

According to Andrew Love, his father began making cabinets after the war and then went on to be a "self-employed cab driver for 38 years," and preached at New Frontier Baptist Church as an assistant minister. His grandson, Quaun Love told NY1 that Love was a "great person, healthy, took care of himself better than most people half his age."

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By Christopher Robbins in News on November 5, 2011 10:45 AM

Comments [rss]

Guest

"Vehicles" don't kill people. People kill people. Why is this story framed as an "NYPD vehicle" killing a man? Is there no information on who was driving it?

mlleBeth

This is a tragedy, but why don't we hold off from assessing blame until we actually know what happened.

Was he hit on the service road or the actual parkway? That would make a difference as to if the police car was speeding or not. If he was going fast enough to kill him on the service road he should probably be charged, but if that same speed was on the parkway section of the road he was probably obeying traffic laws unless he ran a light.

Eastern Parkway is an extremely busy, large parkway. Was the unfortunate gentleman not fast enough to cross before the light turned green? If that's the case it reminds me of several accidents over the years on Queens Blvd that is just as wide and even busier. Maybe some attention should be given to the length of time that is given to cross.

RIP

taracorinne

agreed. Some people may not have the best depth perception, especially with speeding cars. If the gentleman was crossing when it wasn't a walk sign, there would be no criminality involved at all for the driver.

My brother is a lawyer and has told me how impossible it is for a driver of a vehicle to actually be charged for killing a pedestrian if they are not breaking any other serious laws, (although some states/cities may have created additional laws for such situations).

moocow

You can not hit pedestrians with your car.

And you really shouldn't hit them with your cop car, but is it a crime if the NYPD doesn't do anything about it?

mlleBeth

nobody should ever have to be killed by a car, however accidents happen, that is life. My point was, can we please find out the details of what happened before we jump to conclusions?

It is physically possible to hit a pedestrian with your car, it can happen. Whether it's an accident, a result of negligence or even on purpose, it CAN happen.

sluggita

RIP sir. but double whammy re responsibility, not only was this unfortunate gentleman killed by a car, but a cop car. No one will be charged, no one will be held accountable whatsoever. I encourage the widow and family to get a rabid lawyer immediately if not sooner.