The driver behind the wheel of a garbage truck fatally struck a 62-year-old pedestrian just steps from Barclays Center on Friday afternoon, according to police.
Cops say the incident occurred just after 3:30 pm on Flatbush Avenue near the intersection of Fourth and Atlantic avenues, when the private sanitation vehicle crashed into the pedestrian in the roadway.
First responders rushed to the gruesome scene, where they pronounced the victim dead, an NYPD spokesperson said. The driver of the vehicle remained on the scene, and no arrests have been made.
Cops did not yet determine wether the pedestrian was within a crosswalk at the time of the crash.
Police did not release the identity of the deceased victim, pending proper family notification.
“A tragedy occurred in our community this afternoon. A pedestrian fatality involving a private sanitation truck at Atlantic & Flatbush,” tweeted local Councilmember Lincoln Restler. “My heart goes out to the neighbor we lost and his loved ones. May his memory always be a blessing.”
The recently-elected pol also took aim at the Department of Transportation, saying the three-way intersection where the crash occurred lacks proper protections for pedestrians.
“This is one of the most dangerous intersections in NYC. We’ve brought it up repeatedly with DOT & we need action now,” he said. “Traffic deaths are avoidable.”
According to Crashmapper, the stretch of roadway where Friday’s incident occurred has seen at least 10 motor vehicle crashes over the past 12 months, which resulted in multiple injuries to pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists.
A number of Brooklynites took to social media after the incident to bemoan the “dangerous” roadways in the immediate vicinity, which feature multiple car lanes, and vehicles that often drive at high speeds.
https://twitter.com/NoahHurowitz/status/1499874321107406848
Additional reporting by Caroline Ourso.
