Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Sanitation Driver Who Killed Pedestrian is Back on Job Less Than Two Months After Crash

Credit: News12

SB Donation NYC header 2

The city Sanitation driver who killed a Crown Heights pedestrian by driving the wrong way down a one-way street — then tried to turn his massive vehicle around as part of a cover-up — is back on the job less than two months after the crime.

Aaron Gilchrist had been charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian, driving the wrong way on a one-way street and failing to exercise due care after running over Alberto Leal, 37, early on Oct. 11. Police say that Gilchrist, 33, turned right from Eastern Parkway onto Brooklyn Avenue — going the wrong direction on the southbound one-way. He struck Leal in the crosswalk. He then tried to cover up his crime by turning his truck around, a video shows.

Aaron Gilchrist in a photo obtained by the New York Daily News.
Aaron Gilchrist in a photo obtained by the New York Daily News.
Aaron Gilchrist in a photo obtained by the New York Daily News.

At the time, a Sanitation spokesman said the 13-year department vet had been suspended pending an internal DSNY investigation of the crash.

Well...

That investigation is "ongoing," said the spokesman, Vito Turso. He told Streetsblog that Gilchrist was allowed to return to work — albeit in a modified role that will keep him from getting behind the wheel of a garbage truck — because his "suspension time was up."

The Daily News originally reported that Gilchrist has returned to work. Gilchrist earned $120,918 last year.

SB Donation NYC header 2

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025

‘Blood On His Hands’: Cyclists Slam Eric Adams After Judge Lets Him Remove Brooklyn Bike Lane

Mayor Adams will have “blood on his hands” for his decision to rip up three blocks of the popular protected bike lane.

July 10, 2025
See all posts