What to Know
- A city Department of Transportation worker was struck and killed by an SUV while on the job in the Bronx Wednesday morning, officials say
- The SUV then careened off the road and into heavy brush; video from the scene showed it smashed and barely visible in the high thicket
- A cause of the crash is under investigation; there was heavy fog in the area at the time
An SUV struck and killed a city Department of Transportation worker on the job in the Bronx Wednesday morning, then careened off the road and ended up in heavy brush, according to police and witness accounts.
The worker, 57-year-old George Staab of Shirley, Long Island, was hit by the vehicle on Hutchinson Parkway just south of the Hutchinson Bridge at around 10:30 a.m., according to police. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital with trauma to the head, and he was pronounced dead.
Police say the driver of a 2012 Subaru was going southbound on Hutchinson Parkway when he lost control and struck the DOT worker on the right shoulder of the parkway.
Witness Darrell Powe said he heard a big boom, "and then you could hear the crackling of the branches and stuff."
He ran to the crash, and when he got to the tree line on the parkway, he saw the SUV sliding down the embankment. He saw smoke and heard screams.
"It sounded like he said someone hit one of their guys," said Powe. "He was like, 'Where is so and so, where is so and so?'"
Local
Powe said he noticed movement in the SUV and two people soon crawled out. Police say the driver, a 62-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The DOT said Staab was a bridges electrician who was on duty at the time of his death. Mayor de Blasio called the death a "horrible tragedy" and said he will speak to Staub's family.
Traffic on the roadway was at a standstill at one point as police responded. Video from the scene showed a smashed SUV buried in brush off the parkway.
A witness said he saw two people crawl out of the vehicle. It's not clear if they were hurt, nor is it known what caused the accident. Fog was heavy at the time.
Investigation is continuing.
