Driver Hits Parked DSNY Backhoe, Killing Passenger in the Bronx
The Place He Built
A 24-year-old driver in a 2017 Toyota Highlander hit a parked DSNY backhoe on East 233rd Street near Provost Avenue on March 13, killing front-seat passenger Mohamed Salim and injuring the driver and a rear passenger, police and city crash data show.
What We Know
Police said a 24-year-old driver was heading west on East 233rd Street near Provost Avenue at about 10:29 p.m. when he lost control or failed to navigate the roadway and hit an unoccupied, parked DSNY backhoe loader. The city crash record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. Mohamed Salim, 44, the front-seat passenger, was taken to Jacobi Hospital and died there. The driver and a 44-year-old rear passenger were also hospitalized and were expected to survive. The Daily News reported that Salim’s family said the crash happened steps from his autobody shop and that the city equipment had been left there for weeks. Police said there were no arrests and the Collision Investigation Squad continued investigating.
Police said the driver lost control on East 233rd Street
The crash happened at about 10:29 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at East 233rd Street and Provost Avenue. Police said a 24-year-old man driving a 2017 Toyota Highlander westbound lost control or failed to navigate the roadway and hit an unoccupied, parked DSNY backhoe loader.
The city crash record says the Toyota was traveling west and going straight before the crash, with three occupants inside. The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor.
Mohamed Salim died at Jacobi Hospital
Mohamed Salim, 44, was the front-seat passenger in the Toyota. EMS took him to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where he was pronounced dead. Police identified him as a Wakefield resident.
The driver and a 44-year-old rear passenger were also taken to Jacobi. Police said both were in stable condition or expected to survive.
The crash was outside a Bronx autobody shop tied to Salim
Police and news reports placed the crash on East 233rd Street near Provost Avenue, with Norwood News giving the address as 1682 East 233rd Street. The Daily News described the area as Baychester, while Norwood News and News 12 described it as Eastchester.
The Daily News reported that Salim’s family said the crash unfolded in front of House of Benz, an autobody shop Salim owned after working for Mercedes for more than a decade.
Family questioned why the backhoe had been left there
Salim’s family told the Daily News that the backhoe had been parked in the same spot for about two weeks. His father, Jidat Kondayya, said the equipment was broken and surrounded by cones, and alleged it was double-parked in the street.
Bibi Salim, Salim’s mother, told the Daily News, “My son is gone.” She also said, “I will do charity in honor of him. That’s all I can do now.”
Police said the investigation continued
Police said the driver remained at the scene. Norwood News reported that there were no arrests and that the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad was continuing its investigation.