Driver Killed After Hitting Overpass Beam in Rockaway
Daniel King, a 39-year-old driver, died after he hit an overpass beam around 11:35 a.m. at Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard, where the official record cites unsafe speed.
What We Know
Daniel King of Beach 96th Street was driving east on Beach Channel Drive late Monday morning when he hit an overpass beam near Rockaway Beach Boulevard, according to the Rockaway Times. The official crash record says one motorist was killed and lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The newspaper reported that FDNY members removed King from the Subaru, EMS took him to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County, and doctors pronounced him dead. Residents later pointed to a large pothole and the curve near the overpass as possible issues, but the article said the cause had not been determined and police continued to investigate.
Daniel King died after an impact with the overpass
The crash happened around 11:35 a.m. on March 18, 2024, at Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. The official record lists one person killed: a 39-year-old male driver.
The Rockaway Times identified the driver as Daniel King of Beach 96th Street. The newspaper reported that he was unconscious when FDNY members removed him from the Subaru and that EMS took him to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County, where he was pronounced dead.
A Rockaway approach beneath an overpass
The official crash record places the crash at Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Boulevard. The Rockaway Times described the location as near Riis Park, within the 100th Precinct, at a split under the overpass.
The Subaru was described differently across sources
The official record lists a 2010 Subaru SUV traveling east and going straight ahead, with one occupant and demolished damage after a center-front impact. The Rockaway Times described the vehicle as a silver Subaru hatchback.
Speed appears in the record as residents raised roadway concerns
The official record lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The Rockaway Times reported that residents discussed a large pothole in the right lane and the possibility of high speeds on the curved road, while also saying the cause had not been determined as police investigated.
The article reported that the pothole residents had discussed was filled by late Tuesday morning, March 19.
Police continued the investigation
The Rockaway Times reported that King’s family had been notified and that the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad continued to investigate the crash.