Rise in transit deaths plague streets
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,4 NOVEMBER 13-19, 2020 BTR
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BY ALEX MITCHELL
The Bronx has seen an unfortunate
pattern of vehicular related fatalities
throughout the recent span of days.
Three senior citizens, a cyclist and
a moped driver all lost their lives to
automotive collisions spread throughout
the borough, dating back to the
end of October – one from alleged
drunk driving and another involving
an MTA bus.
Senior couple dies of injuries
following multi-car crash in north
Bronx: NYPD
Authorities said that at 4:01 p.m. on
Oct. 26, the NYPD responded to a call
regarding a multi-vehicle collision at
the intersection of Allerton Avenue
and East Gun Hill Road. Upon their
arrival, offi cers found 81-year-old
Juan Rosario with head trauma and
74-year-old Hilda Rosario with trauma
to her body — both were unconscious
and unresponsive. Offi cers also found
a 51-year-old man who was conscious
and alert and had sustained injuries
to his left wrist and ribs.
An investigation found that Juan
Rosario was driving a 1999 Lincoln
Town Car with Hilda in the passenger
seat eastbound on Allerton Avenue
when he failed to properly navigate
the roadway as he approached the intersection
of East Gun Hill Road, he
failed to properly navigate the roadway.
Rosario’s car collided with the
51-year-old victim’s car, a 2012 Chevrolet
Suburban, that was headed westbound
on Allerton Avenue.
A third car, operated by a 32-yearold
woman, was behind the Suburban
and tried to swerve to the right but
was hit by the Suburban. The driver
in the third vehicle was not injured.
EMS rushed all three victims with
injuries to Jacobi Hospital where
Hilda Rosario was pronounced dead.
Juan Rosario ultimately died of his
injuries on Nov. 4. The 51-year-old victim
was listed in stable condition.
All vehicles remained at the
scene following the incident. There
are no arrests at this time and the
NYPD Highway District’s Collision
Investigation Squad is continuing
the investigation.
MTA bus fatally strikes senior pedestrian
on Morris Park Avenue
A 78-year-old Morris Park man
was recently struck by an MTA
bus and succumbed to his injuries
day later, the NYPD announced
Monday morning.
George Dingfelder was crossing
Morris Park Avenue at about 6:13 p.m.
on Thursday, Oct. 29 when the 2007
model MTA express bus struck the the
senior man while moving eastbound
with a green light, according to the
NYPD Highway District’s Collision
Investigation Squad.
Dingfelder, who police say crossed
against the pedestrian light signal
was rushed to Jacobi Hospital after
being struck by the bus’ front bumper
and died of his “severe head trauma”
on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The 45-year-old bus operator remained
on scene and was not reported
injured as result of the collision.
Police have made no arrests and
the investigation into the fatal strike
remains ongoing.
Cyclist killed by tractor trailer
near Willis Avenue Bridge in the
south Bronx
A male cyclist was fatally struck
by a tractor trailer near the Willis
Avenue Bridge in the intersection
of Bruckner Boulevard and Brown
Place at about 1:46 p.m. on Thursday,
Nov. 6.
Police say the westbound cyclist
collided into the back of the tractor
trailer while riding on Bruckner
Boulevard as the vehicle was moving
southbound on Brown Place,
leaving the victim unconscious on
the roadway.
The bicycle rider was brought to
nearby Lincoln Hospital where he
was pronounced dead. The 34-year-old
driver of the tractor trailer remained
on scene and the investigation is ongoing,
according to the NYPD’s Highway
Patrol Collision Investigation Squad.
Alleged drunk driver charged
with fatally striking man on moped
in Soundview
A Bronx woman faces criminal
charges for fatally striking a mopedrider
with her sedan while allegedly
driving drunk early on Saturday
morning, police reported.
Stephanie Mendez, 33, of Haviland
Avenue ,was booked shortly after the
Nov. 7 crash that claimed the life of
Frank Davila, 59, who lived right around
the corner from the crash site on Bruckner
Boulevard in Soundview.
Law enforcement sources said Davila
was riding his moped southbound
on Rosedale Avenue at about 12:20 a.m.
on Nov. 7 and entering the intersection
of the Bruckner Boulevard when Mendez
approached while operating a 2005
grey Volvo sedan heading eastbound on
the boulevard.
Cops reported that Mendez struck
Davila and his moped, sending the victim
hurtling to the pavement. Mendez
stopped her vehicle and remained at the
scene, police said.
Offi cers from the 43rd Precinct and
EMS units responded to a 911 call about
the collision. Upon arriving at the
scene, they found Davila unconscious
and unresponsive on the street, with
trauma about his body.
Paramedics rushed him to Jacobi
Hospital, where he was
pronounced dead.
Following questioning, Mendez
was taken into custody on charges of
driving while intoxicated and driving
while ability impaired. Additional
charges are pending the results of the
ongoing investigation.
Police did not specify whether her
blood alcohol level was tested.
Call for protected bicycle lanes
and other safety measures
Transportation Alternatives Executive
Director Danny Harris addressed
an uptick the borough’s cyclist fatalities,
which now stands at eight this year; he
also spoke on pedestrian dangers proven
to exist in the Bronx.
“This has been a particularly deadly
year in the Bronx, and not just for cyclists.
In 2019, there were 28 traffi c deaths
in the Bronx, while in 2020, we have now
seen at least 46. This year, 22 percent of
all fatal New York City traffi c crashes
happened in the Bronx, compared to 13
percent in 2019,” he said in a statement,
adding that the Bronx has seen the most
cyclist deaths citywide in 2020.
“Only three percent of the city’s total
protected bike lane mileage is in the
Bronx, compared to about 50 percent in
Manhattan,” Harris added.
The executive director also called for
change in the south Bronx corridor of
Bruckner Boulevard where the unidentifi
ed cyclist died in a truck route, saying
it is “precisely the type of street that
requires complete, dedicated bike infrastructure
which separates people on
bikes from multi-ton tractor trailers.”
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