New York

Man Barred From Driving in New York for the Last 26 Years Kills 1 in Chelsea

Police say the truck driver was driving with a suspended license at the time of the crash

A 60-year-old New Jersey man who has been barred from driving in New York for nearly three decades has been charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after cops say he struck and killed a 73-year-old man crossing the street in Chelsea early Tuesday. 

Police say Sydney Jones, who does have a valid commercial license in New Jersey, was driving the tractor-trailer that hit the victim as the older man tried to cross the street near West 25th Street and Seventh Avenue shortly before 5 a.m. The unidentified victim suffered severe head injuries and died at a hospital. 

Jones stayed at the scene. It wasn't clear who had the right of way at the time, but the investigation is ongoing. Police say Jones' driver's license has been suspended in New York state since 1991 for failing to answer a summons in Orange County. He also paid a fine in $200 for operating an overweight or oversize vehicle in Seneca County. 

There are no accidents with injuries on his record in New Jersey, officials in the Garden State say. He has had his license suspended three times in New Jersey, twice for being uninsured and once for a parking violation, officials say. None of those suspensions are recent, the state said. 

It wasn't known if Jones would face charges in connection with the man's death, nor was it clear if he had an attorney who could comment on the crash. 

Contact Us