Driver charged after fatal Co-op City dump-truck crash
Vincent Francis, identified by Patch as the driver, hit Lola Blair at Einstein Loop; the official record lists a fatal pedestrian collision at Hutchinson River Parkway East at 11:46 a.m. on March 7, 2022.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
At 11:46 a.m. on March 7, 2022, the official crash record lists one pedestrian killed at Hutchinson River Parkway East and Einstein Loop. Patch identified Vincent Francis as the driver and reported that he was charged with leaving the scene, failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care resulting in serious injury. The Daily News, citing police, reported that the driver turned left from the parkway and hit Lola Blair as she crossed Einstein Loop. The accounts differ on what happened next: the Daily News said the driver circled back after driving a short distance, while Patch reported an accusation that Francis left the scene.
A driver turned left as Blair crossed.
The official crash record lists one pedestrian killed at Hutchinson River Parkway East and Einstein Loop at 11:46 a.m. on March 7, 2022. It records the pedestrian as crossing with the signal. The Daily News, citing police, reported that Lola Blair was crossing Einstein Loop around 11:45 a.m. when a dump-truck driver turned left from Hutchinson River Parkway East and hit her.
Blair lived in Co-op City.
The Daily News identified Lola Blair as 76 and reported that she lived in the Co-op City apartment complex. Patch identified Vincent Francis as the driver and reported that he was 62 and lived in Monroe.
Riverbay owned the dump truck.
The Daily News and Patch reported that Riverbay Corp., which runs Co-op City, owned the dump truck. The official crash record also classifies the vehicle as a dump truck.
Reports differ about what happened after impact.
Patch reported that Francis was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, failure to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care that resulted in serious injury. The Daily News reported that medics took Blair to Jacobi Medical Center but could not save her. On what followed the impact, the Daily News said the driver drove a short distance and circled back, while Patch reported that Francis was accused of leaving the scene.
Where
HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY EAST and EINSTEIN LOOP