Driver Fatally Hits Man Lying on Ocean Parkway
A 56-year-old driver in a Chevrolet Impala fatally hit a 45-year-old pedestrian on Ocean Parkway at Neptune Avenue after police said the driver mistook the man for trash or a blanket.
What We Know
A 45-year-old pedestrian was killed on Ocean Parkway at Neptune Avenue in Brooklyn on the evening of Jan. 4, 2022. The official crash record lists one pedestrian death and a sedan traveling north. Police told the Daily News and New York Post that the man was lying in a northbound lane when a 56-year-old driver in a 2013 Chevrolet Impala hit him after mistaking him for a bag of trash or a blanket. The articles said the driver stopped after dragging the man several feet, and medics took the victim to Coney Island Hospital, where he died. Police said the driver was not arrested or issued a summons.
Police said the man was lying in the northbound lane
The official crash record says one pedestrian, a 45-year-old man, was killed at Ocean Parkway and Neptune Avenue at about 7:21 p.m. on Jan. 4, 2022. The Daily News and New York Post reported that police said he was lying in a northbound lane when a 56-year-old driver in a 2013 Chevrolet Impala hit him.
Ocean Parkway has seen repeated harm since 2022
The crash happened at Ocean Parkway and Neptune Avenue in Brooklyn, near the southern end of Ocean Parkway.
CrashCountNYC’s location context for Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn recorded 1,741 crashes, 1,281 injuries, 62 serious injuries and 7 deaths from Jan. 1, 2022, through June 1, 2026.
Police reported the driver mistook him for debris
The Daily News reported that the driver told police he tried to avoid the man but thought he was a bag of garbage or a blanket. The New York Post similarly reported, citing police sources, that the driver attempted to swerve around what he believed was a garbage bag or blanket blocking the roadway but could not avoid hitting the man.
Both articles reported that the driver dragged the victim several feet before stopping. The Daily News said the driver was not charged or issued a summons, while the New York Post reported that he stayed at the scene and was not arrested.