Dump Truck Driver Fatally Hits Woman Crossing in Flatbush
A dump truck driver making a right turn at Bedford Avenue and Tilden Avenue fatally hit Maria Piovanetti, 58, while she was crossing with the signal, and police told News 12 the same truck had been in a fatal Queens crash months earlier.
What We Know
Maria Piovanetti, 58, was killed Thursday morning at Bedford Avenue and Tilden Avenue in Flatbush. The official crash record says she was crossing with the signal at the intersection when a driver in a dump truck was making a right turn; the record lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor. News 12, citing surveillance video, reported that Piovanetti entered the crosswalk as the truck approached and slowed, and that the driver turned right as she nearly cleared it. Police told News 12 the dump truck involved was the same one from a fatal Queens crossing-guard crash the previous October, and said at the time that the investigation was continuing with no arrests made.
The turn happened as she crossed with the signal
The crash happened at 5:58 a.m. on March 7, 2024, at Bedford Avenue and Tilden Avenue in Brooklyn. The official record says Maria Piovanetti, 58, was a pedestrian at the intersection crossing with the signal when a driver in a dump truck was making a right turn.
News 12 reported that surveillance video showed Piovanetti entering the crosswalk as the dump truck approached and slowed. The article said she had nearly cleared the truck when the driver turned right and hit her.
Bedford Avenue has seen repeated serious harm
The fatal crash occurred at Bedford Avenue and Tilden Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
CrashCountNYC location context for Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn counts 2,327 crashes, 1,544 injuries, 78 serious injuries and 8 deaths since 2022.
News 12 identified the woman who died
News 12 identified the victim as Maria Piovanetti and reported that police said she lived at an extended-stay housing facility that works to move tenants into permanent housing.
Ed Clermont, who News 12 said worked at one of two construction sites on Tilden Avenue, told the station, "Last night, I was sitting at the light waiting to go home, and I looked at the ground, thinking of her lying there. It's so sad."
Police linked the truck to another fatal crash
Police told News 12 the dump truck involved in the Flatbush fatal crash was the same one involved in a fatal Queens crash that killed a crossing guard the previous October. At the time of the News 12 report, police said no arrests had been made and the investigation was ongoing.