Elderly Pedestrian Struck, Killed By Ambulance Driver in Brooklyn
A woman in her upper seventies to early eighties was hit by an ambulance at around 6 a.m. today while crossing Bay Parkway at the Belt Parkway in Bath Beach. The ambulance was carrying a patient. No word on whether lights and sirens were on. The driver passed a breath test, according to NY1.
By
Brad Aaron
4:08 PM EST on December 15, 2009
A woman in her upper seventies to early eighties was hit by an ambulance at around 6 a.m. today while crossing Bay Parkway at the Belt Parkway in Bath Beach. The ambulance was carrying a patient. No word on whether lights and sirens were on. The driver passed a breath test, according to NY1.
Watch the video for a fairly thorough report from WABC, which (after the requisite car commercial) shows how incredibly dangerous this intersection is. You’ll see that the crosswalk where the victim was hit spans a ramp at which the green turn arrow is the default signal, and must be switched off with a pole-mounted button. This would be a harrowing environment for the most able-bodied pedestrian, much less an elderly person who depended on a walker.
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
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