NYPD Tow Truck Driver Fatally Hits 7-Year-Old Boy

On Oct 26, 2023

TL/DR –

A 7-year-old boy was tragically killed in Brooklyn when a New York Police Department tow truck struck him while he was crossing the street with his mother. The incident occurred at about 7:45 a.m. near Fort Greene Park, and the 54-year-old female driver of the tow truck remained at the scene. This event marks the 73rd pedestrian death in a traffic incident this year, slightly fewer than the 78 deaths that had occurred by this time last year, according to safe-streets group Transportation Alternatives.

A Tragic Accident in Brooklyn

A 7-year-old boy was tragically killed on Thursday morning in Brooklyn when an NYPD tow truck hit him while crossing the street on his way to school, according to police reports.

The fatal incident took place at the northern border of Fort Greene Park around 7:45 a.m. while he and his mother were in the crosswalk on Myrtle Avenue. The truck driver, a 54-year-old woman, attempted a right turn onto North Portland Avenue, colliding with the boy. Emergency responders pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

Investigation Continues

The truck driver remained at the accident scene and police are still investigating. NYPD’s Chief of Department, Jeffrey Maddrey, along with several teachers from the boy’s school, visited the collision site.

Neighborhood resident Mary Lynne Werlwas described a distraught scene. A woman, presumably the boy’s mother, sat in the street next to a figure covered in a white sheet, mourning her loss.

Witness Accounts

Witness Tyrana Carter recounted the heartbreaking moments leading up to the accident. The boy was riding a green scooter while his mother pushed a stroller, attempting to cross the street. Carter believed the truck driver was trying to beat a yellow light.

Another local resident, Antwoan Hayes, saw the tragic incident unfold. Following the collision, he witnessed the mother chase the tow truck, crying out that the driver had killed her child.

Pedestrian Safety Concerns

According to Transportation Alternatives, a safe-streets advocacy group, the boy was the 73rd pedestrian killed in a traffic incident this year. This is slightly lower than the same period last year, but still a concerning statistic.

Since the city implemented the Vision Zero program in 2014 to reduce traffic fatalities, at least 26 children have been killed in traffic while walking to or from school, the group stated. Myrtle Avenue, where the boy was killed, is a bustling area in Fort Greene with a high volume of traffic.

Long-time resident Debra Williamson expressed her fear about the speeding drivers in the area. “This is terrifying to me,” she said. “I knew this was coming, but I don’t know what to do.”

As the morning progressed, police officers continued to monitor the scene, with the boy’s green scooter and small orange backpack left as stark reminders of the incident.