MTA Bus Driver Hits Boom Lift; Worker Dies in Midtown
A southbound MTA bus driver hit the base of a boom lift at Fifth Avenue and East 51st Street on Jan. 26, police told Gothamist; the official record lists one pedestrian, a 39-year-old man, killed.
What We Know
The crash happened Sunday night at Fifth Avenue and East 51st Street in Midtown. Police told Gothamist that a 44-year-old MTA bus driver was heading south when he hit the base of a boom lift that was protruding onto the roadway. Vladamir Cruz, 39, was on the lift, fell, and suffered a head injury and other injuries; he was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The city crash record lists one pedestrian killed, a southbound bus going straight, and a parked boom lift. The driver stayed at the scene, police said, and no arrests had been made as the investigation continued.
Police said the driver hit the lift base
The city crash record places the crash at 9:34 p.m. on Jan. 26, 2025, at Fifth Avenue and East 51st Street. Gothamist reported that police said the crash happened around 9:30 p.m. near Rockefeller Center.
Police said a 44-year-old MTA bus driver was heading south on Fifth Avenue when he hit the base of a boom lift that was protruding onto the roadway. The official record lists the bus as traveling south and going straight ahead, with damage to the right front bumper.
Vladamir Cruz died after falling from the lift
Police identified the man who died as Vladamir Cruz, 39, of the South Bronx. Gothamist reported that he fell from the lift and suffered a head injury and other injuries before being taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The official record classifies Cruz as a pedestrian and records no other injuries in the crash.
The bus was an M1 in service
An MTA spokesperson told Gothamist the incident involved an M1 bus that was in service. The spokesperson said no passengers were reported injured and that passengers were transferred to another bus.
The city record lists a 2021 New Flyer bus with one occupant and a 2022 JLG boom lift that was parked.
Fifth Avenue has seen repeated serious crashes
The crash happened at Fifth Avenue and East 51st Street in Manhattan. CrashCountNYC location context for Fifth Avenue in Manhattan shows 1,750 crashes, 971 injuries, 74 serious injuries and 5 deaths since 2022.
Accounts focus on the lift's position and the bus driver's movement
Police told Gothamist the lift was protruding onto the roadway when the bus driver hit its base. The city crash record lists the boom lift as parked and records the person killed as not in the roadway.
The city record also lists pedestrian error or confusion as a contributing factor. The public police account reported by Gothamist did not describe a charge or arrest.
The driver stayed at the scene
Police said the bus driver stayed at the scene. Gothamist reported on Jan. 27 that no arrests had been made and the investigation was continuing.