Driver Dies in Gowanus Expressway Chain-Reaction Crash
A 51-year-old driver was killed and three motorists were injured on the Gowanus Expressway on May 15, 2024, after police said Dimitri Kontoleon experienced a medical episode while driving near Exit 23.
What We Know
Dimitri Kontoleon, a 51-year-old driver from Dyker Heights, died after a crash on the Gowanus Expressway on May 15, 2024. Police told News 12 that Kontoleon was driving a Volkswagen when he lost control during a medical episode and hit another driver's car, starting a chain reaction near Exit 23. Fire officials said the original call came in for cardiac arrest. The city crash record lists one motorist killed and three motorists injured at 3:52 p.m. on the Gowanus Expressway, and cites lost consciousness as a contributing factor. News 12 described a six-car crash, while the city record lists seven involved vehicles.
A medical emergency preceded a chain reaction
The crash happened just before 4 p.m. on May 15, 2024, near Exit 23 on the Gowanus Expressway. Police told News 12 that Dimitri Kontoleon was driving a Volkswagen when he lost control during a medical episode and hit another driver's car, causing a chain reaction involving other drivers.
The crash was recorded on the Gowanus Expressway
The city crash record places the crash on the Gowanus Expressway, also listed as the BQE, at 3:52 p.m. News 12 reported that it happened near Exit 23.
The driver who died was identified as Dimitri Kontoleon
Authorities identified the driver who died as 51-year-old Dimitri Kontoleon of Dyker Heights, News 12 reported. The official record lists the person killed as a 51-year-old male driver and counts three injured motorists. News 12 reported that four patients between ages 26 and 60 were taken to hospitals and were recovering.
Reports differed on the number of involved vehicles
News 12 described the collision as a six-car crash. The city crash record lists seven involved vehicles, all traveling west: three SUVs and four sedans.
Police cited a medical episode
Police said the crash was caused by a driver experiencing a medical episode, News 12 reported. Fire officials said the original call came in for cardiac arrest, and the city crash record cites lost consciousness as a contributing factor.