You are reading

Tow Truck Driver Dead Following Crash on the Long Island Expressway

(iStock)

Oct. 10, 2022 By Max Murray

A tow truck driver was struck dead on the Long Island Expressway during the early hours Saturday morning while he was attempting to hitch a vehicle onto the back of his truck.

Carlos Santiago, 47, of Howard Beach, was fatally hit at around 3:20 a.m. while a 27-year-old man whose broken-down Nissan sedan was about to be towed is in serious condition. They were both struck on the shoulder of the Long Island Expressway—on the Manhattan-bound side near 84th Street and Woodhaven Boulevard.

According to police, the pair were hit after Denzel Porter, who was allegedly driving drunk, lost control of his west-bound Dodge Durango and struck a Volkswagen in an adjacent lane.

The driver of the Volkswagen then careened into Santiago, knocking him to the pavement. Porter, in the Dodge, then plowed into the Nissan sedan, which in turn made contact with the 27-year-old man, knocking him to the ground.

Santiago and the 27-year-old man were both transported to NYC Health & Hospitals/Elmhurst where Santiago was declared dead while the 27-year-old remains in serious condition with leg injuries.

The occupants of the Dodge, which included Porter and two passengers, and the Volkswagen, which didn’t have any passengers, were transported via EMS to New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Queens. All were listed in stable condition.

Police charged Porter with attempted vehicular manslaughter and attempted criminally negligent homicide. The investigation remains ongoing, police said.

email the author: [email protected]
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Eastern Queens Greenway project connecting local parks gets $6 million in City Council funding

The Eastern Queens Greenway plan is a step closer to fruition after Council Member Sandra Ung joined Speaker Adrienne Adams in Kissena Park on Oct. 2, where they announced $6 million in funding to complete two sections of the greenway that will create a seamless connection between Flushing Meadows Corona Park and Alley Pond Park.

“We are fortunate in Eastern Queens to have a number of amazing parks, but in many places they are physically close but disconnected from one another,” Ung said. “This funding will create new connections and improve existing ones to create a continuous and safe path from Flushing Meadows to Alley Pond and beyond. These projects will increase access points to our open spaces, which in turn will make them safer for seniors, families, and those with mobility impairments.”