Mercedes driver dies after Brooklyn collision with garbage truck
Police said Patrick Donovan, 42, was driving north in a Mercedes-Benz when he collided with a southbound garbage truck whose driver was attempting a U-turn at Gerritsen Avenue and Florence Avenue; the official record dates the Brooklyn crash to 12:33 a.m. on January 5, 2024, and records one person killed.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Patch, citing police, reported that Donovan was traveling north on Gerritsen Avenue near Florence Avenue when he collided with a southbound garbage truck whose driver was attempting a U-turn. The official record lists unsafe speed and alcohol involvement among factors recorded for the sedan. Cogent Waste Solutions' spokesperson separately told News 12 that sources at the scene said the Mercedes driver passed a red light and hit the truck's rear; News 12 said the cause remained under investigation. Police said Donovan was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
Police described a collision during a U-turn.
Patch, citing police, reported that Donovan was traveling north on Gerritsen Avenue toward Florence Avenue at an apparent high rate of speed when he collided with the garbage truck. Police said the truck driver had been traveling south and was attempting a U-turn.
Patch reported the crash happened at about 12:35 a.m.; the official record gives 12:33 a.m. on January 5, 2024.
Reports describe the truck in different ways.
The official record lists a 2011 sedan and a 2018 Mack garbage or refuse vehicle; it records the sedan going straight and the truck making a U-turn. Patch identified Donovan's vehicle as a Mercedes-Benz. Its headline called the other vehicle a dump truck, while its story text called it a private garbage truck.
Donovan's family remembered him as a father and friend.
Patch identified Patrick Donovan, 42, of Brooklyn, as the Mercedes-Benz driver; the official record also lists a 42-year-old male driver as the person killed. El Diario reported that his brother Michael described him as a good brother and father. Donovan had a 17-year-old son and had recently returned to the neighborhood, his brother said.
Patch reported that loved ones remembered Donovan as a generous friend who was passionate about anything with a motor. His brother told the Daily News, as quoted by Patch, "This happened too soon. It's still so surreal." El Diario described the garbage truck driver as a 54-year-old Cogent Waste Solutions employee.
The accounts differ on the Mercedes driver's actions.
The official crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor for the collision and records unsafe speed and alcohol involvement for the sedan. These are record entries, not a complete account of how the crash occurred.
Patch reported police described Donovan's speed as apparent high. Separately, Cogent's spokesperson told News 12 that sources at the scene said the Mercedes driver was speeding, passed a red light and hit the truck's rear. News 12 said the cause was still under investigation.
Donovan was taken to a hospital.
Patch reported that police said Donovan was taken to an area hospital and later pronounced dead. El Diario identified the hospital as Brookdale Medical Center. Patch and News 12 reported that the truck driver remained at the scene; News 12 said he was not seriously injured.
El Diario reported police said the truck driver faced no charges immediately. News 12 reported that the cause remained under investigation.
Where
GERRITSEN AVENUE and FLORENCE AVENUE