Driver in Sanitation Truck Kills Pedestrian Near Barclays Center
A driver in a private sanitation truck hit and killed a 62-year-old pedestrian at Flatbush and Atlantic avenues in Brooklyn at 3:32 p.m. on March 4, 2022; police and a witness told the Daily News the man was pinned beneath the truck near Barclays Center.
What We Know
On March 4, 2022, a driver in a private sanitation truck hit and killed a 62-year-old man at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. City records place the crash at 3:32 p.m. and list one pedestrian death. Police told local outlets the man died at the scene near Barclays Center, and the Daily News reported that the driver remained there and was questioned. Reporting on the day of the crash said police had not yet determined whether the man was in a crosswalk; the city record later described him as crossing without a signal or crosswalk.
A Friday afternoon death at Flatbush and Atlantic
City crash data recorded one pedestrian death at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn at 3:32 p.m. on March 4, 2022. The official record identified the person killed as a 62-year-old male pedestrian and listed one dump truck in the crash.
Brooklyn Paper reported that police said the driver behind the wheel of a garbage truck hit the pedestrian in the roadway just after 3:30 p.m. and that first responders pronounced him dead at the scene. The Daily News reported that a witness said the driver was turning right from Atlantic Avenue into Flatbush Avenue.
A dangerous corridor near Barclays Center
The crash happened at Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue, near Barclays Center in Brooklyn, according to city records and local reporting.
CrashCountNYC location context for Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn recorded 2,981 crashes, 1,956 injuries, 125 serious injuries and 10 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
After the crash, Councilmember Lincoln Restler wrote, “This is one of the most dangerous intersections in NYC,” and called for action from the city Department of Transportation.
The pedestrian and the driver
The official record lists the pedestrian killed as a 62-year-old man. Brooklyn Paper reported that police had not released his identity while awaiting family notification.
The Daily News reported that the driver remained at the scene and was questioned by police. Brooklyn Paper reported that no arrests had been made. The Daily News also reported that the truck was operated by Safeway, a carting company in Little Neck, Queens, and that a person who answered the company phone declined comment.
Records and early reporting differed on crossing details
City records later described the pedestrian as crossing without a signal or crosswalk and listed pedestrian error or confusion as a contributing factor. Brooklyn Paper reported on the day of the crash that police had not yet determined whether the pedestrian was within a crosswalk.