A cement truck driver was killed when his vehicle slammed into a three-story apartment building in the Bronx on Monday. Four others were injured in the accident, which occurred at 6:21 PM at 1970 Cedar Avenue in University Heights. Two of the injured were listed in serious but stable condition at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital after the truck accident.
According to witnesses, the cement truck hit two cars after exiting the Major Deegan Expressway. Two of the injured were in these vehicles: a firefighter at the scene was the other person injured. Crushed and damaged vehicles were scattered around the area after they were directly hit by the truck or were struck by other cars as the truck careened toward the building.
The northbound Major Deegan exit veers left along East River. The truck, used in high-rise construction, kept going straight as the road turned. The driver sped over the grass and crashed straight into the building, according to a witness. The truck was seemingly out of control, and the driver was honking his horn as he headed straight for the building.
After being hit by the truck, the building facade collapsed onto the cab. No one in the building was physically injured, but residents of the apartment, that included several children, were in shock after the incident.
It is believed that the cement truck driver had a heart attack. However, residents said that the off-ramp from the Major Deegan has been the site of numerous accidents because of the curvature of the street. None, however, has been as serious and destructive as the incident that occurred on Monday evening.
Source: “Cement Truck Crashes Into Bronx Building; Driver Killed,” Jan. 20, 2014.