Garbage-truck driver was turning during a fatal Brooklyn crash.
A garbage-truck driver was attempting a U-turn during a fatal crash at Gerritsen and Florence avenues in Brooklyn at 12:33 a.m. Jan. 5, 2024, police told Patch; the city record counts one motorist killed, whom Patch identified as 42-year-old Patrick Donovan.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
At 12:33 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2024, the city record counted one motorist killed in a crash at Gerritsen Avenue and Florence Avenue in Brooklyn; Patch identified him as Patrick Donovan, 42. Patch reported police said Donovan was driving north in a Mercedes-Benz when he collided with a private garbage truck whose driver was attempting a U-turn. News 12 separately quoted a Cogent Waste Solutions spokesperson saying on-scene sources reported the Mercedes driver was traveling fast, passed a red light and struck the truck's rear. That account differs from Patch's police-based description, and News 12 presented it as an attributed company statement. Both outlets reported Donovan was taken to a hospital, where he died. Patch said loved ones remembered him as a good father, generous friend and motor enthusiast.
Reports differ on how the crash unfolded
Patch reported police said Patrick Donovan, 42, was driving north on Gerritsen Avenue toward Florence Avenue when he collided with a private garbage truck whose driver was attempting a U-turn after traveling south.
News 12 quoted a spokesperson for Cogent Waste Solutions, which owns the truck and employed its driver, saying on-scene sources reported the Mercedes driver was traveling fast, passed a red light and struck the truck's rear. This is a company spokesperson's account, distinct from Patch's police-based description.
The crash happened at a Brooklyn intersection
The city record places the crash at Gerritsen Avenue and Florence Avenue in Brooklyn at 12:33 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2024. Patch reported police gave an approximate time of 12:35 a.m.; News 12 described the location as Gerritsen Beach.
Family and friends remembered Donovan
Patch identified Donovan as 42 and from Brooklyn. His family described him as a good father as they lit candles and placed flowers near the crash. Loved ones remembered him as a generous friend passionate about "anything with a motor."
Reports use different labels for the truck
The city record lists a 2011 sedan and a 2018 Mack vehicle classified as garbage or refuse. Patch identified Donovan's vehicle as a Mercedes-Benz. Its headline calls the other vehicle a dump truck, while its article and News 12 describe it as a garbage truck.
Donovan died after being taken to a hospital
Patch and News 12 reported that Donovan was taken to a hospital, where he died. Patch said the garbage-truck driver remained at the scene; News 12 reported the driver was not seriously injured.