Subaru and Jeep Drivers Figure in Fatal Major Deegan Crash.
Not yet
A Subaru driver collided with a Honda near 238th Street on the Major Deegan Expressway at 4:12 a.m. Aug. 13, 2023; the official record lists one pedestrian death and one motorist injury, and Norwood News reported the Jeep driver was critically injured.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Norwood News reported that police's preliminary account said the Honda driver lost control on wet pavement, hit a wall and got out to inspect the car. In that account, a Subaru driver then collided with the stationary Honda; the collision sent the Honda into Justin Francisco and the impact sent him over the center divider. A Jeep driver then struck him in the northbound lanes. The Daily News reported a different first impact: the Subaru driver struck Francisco directly after he got out of the Honda, and the Jeep driver struck him after he was thrown over the divider. Norwood News said the Jeep driver was hospitalized in critical condition. The official record lists one death and one injured person.
Reports differ on the first impact.
Norwood News reported that police's preliminary account said the Honda driver lost control on wet pavement, hit a wall and got out to inspect the car. In that account, a Subaru driver then collided with the stationary Honda; the collision sent the Honda into Francisco and the impact sent him over the center divider. A Jeep driver then struck him in the northbound lanes.
The Daily News reported a different first impact: the Subaru driver struck Francisco directly after he got out of the Honda. It said he was thrown over the divider, where the Jeep driver struck him.
The reported sequence crossed the highway divider.
The official record places the crash on the Major Deegan Expressway at 4:12 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2023. Norwood News placed it near 238th Street and Van Cortlandt Park South in the North Bronx and reported it occurred at about 4:14 a.m.; it said EMS was alerted at 4:14. Police told the outlet Francisco was thrown from the southbound side over the center wall into northbound traffic.
Francisco and the injured Jeep driver.
Norwood News reported that police identified Justin Francisco, 22, of Mount Vernon, as the deceased pedestrian and linked him to the Honda as its driver. The outlet said EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.
The official record counts one pedestrian death and one motorist injury. Norwood News reported that the 37-year-old Jeep driver was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition.
The Subaru's description differs by source.
Norwood News identified a 2018 Honda Accord, a 2021 Subaru it referred to as a CTX, and a Jeep Wrangler. The detailed official vehicle entries classify the Honda and Subaru as sedans and the Jeep as a station wagon or SUV; the Subaru's description therefore differs between sources.
Wet pavement appears in the accounts and record.
Norwood News reported that police's preliminary account said the Honda driver lost control on wet pavement and struck a wall; the same account said the Jeep driver lost control on wet pavement after striking the Honda driver. The official vehicle record lists slippery pavement and an obstructed or limited view as contributing factors for the Subaru.
Lanes reopened after the investigation.
Norwood News reported that northbound lanes were blocked first, followed by northbound and southbound lanes during NYPD activity. Traffic was diverted to the Van Cortlandt Park South exit, and all lanes later reopened. Police said the investigation remained ongoing.