A man was hit and killed by his own vehicle during a carjacking in Brooklyn on Monday morning, police and witnesses say.
Phil Dellegrazie's truck was idling in front of his Greenwood Heights business, A & D Iron Works, when a carjacker jumped in and took off, authorities and witnesses said.
Dellegrazie chased down the thief and caught up with him at 22nd Street and Fourth Avenue. The 63-year-old tried to get back into the truck's cab but was pushed to the ground.
The carjacker then took off, crushing the man in the process. The driver then took off the wrong way up 22nd Street and hit a white Lexus SUV that witnesses said was trying to follow the stolen truck down the busy street.
The carjacker then ran away from the scene, witnesses and police say. Authorities said a surveillance camera in the area may have captured an image of the suspect.
Distraught family members at the scene earlier in the day declined to comment to NBC 4 New York, but a neighbor named Susan said the family was devastated.
"He's the icon, the head of the family," she said, calling it a "nightmare."
"To walk out the door and never see your father again, your husband again, and such extreme circumstances," she said.
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Longtime family friend Salvatore Bellablank remembered the buddy he's known since their days as children in Italy.
"He's a dedicated family man, hardworking, reliable, responsible, all-around great guy," he said.
