Sanitation Truck Driver Arrested After Killing Pedestrian In Bensonhurst

The Department of Sanitation garbage truck driver who, police say, fatally struck a pedestrian at a notorious Bensonhurst intersection was arrested on Wednesday and charged with low-level misdemeanors.

The driver, Timothy McVey, 41, of Staten Island, turned himself in at the 62nd Precinct station house and was booked for failure to yield and failure to exercise due care — which carry a maximum of 30 days in jail, but typically result in a small fine — stemming from the Oct. 28 crash in which he killed Siobhan Lynch, 30, at the corner of Cropsey Avenue and Bay Parkway, police said.

Both McVey, who was turning right from Cropsey Avenue onto Bay Parkway, and Lynch, who was crossing Bay Parkway, had a green light, a source said, but McVey should have yielded. It is unclear why he did not, a question which will be central to both the criminal investigation and the internal Sanitation Department disciplinary process.

“Given the active nature of this case, I can’t offer additional comment beyond our statement that this is a terrible tragedy and that our thoughts are with the victim’s family,” Sanitation Department spokesman Joshua Goodman told Streetsblog late on Wednesday.

A number of things can happen at this point: McVey could be convicted criminally, which could result in him losing his commercial driver’s license, which could lead to his termination with the Sanitation Department. Even if he is found not guilty at trial or pleads to a lower charge, the Sanitation Department will undertake its own internal investigation.

It’s certain Lynch’s family will keep the focus on the case. The victim’s sister, Shannon Lynch, had previously told Streetsblog that she intends to ensure that McVey faces full punishment.

“I want this man in jail,” she said. “You killed my sister. You took the only person that I have away from me.” (Shannon Lynch could not be reached for comment on Wednesday night.)

The intersection of Cropsey Avenue and Bay Parkway is one of the worst in the city, sluicing impatient drivers on both of the wide, two-way roadways onto or from the Belt Parkway, itself one of the most dangerous highways in the city.

In 2025, there were 30 reported crashes at just that intersection, injuring 21 people, including five pedestrians. Since 2021, there have been at least 106 reported crashes, injuring 77 people, including three cyclists and 18 pedestrians, according to city stats.