A 22-year-old Mount Vernon resident was struck by a car Sunday morning after being hurled into oncoming traffic on the Major Deegan Expressway while he was assessing damage to his car.
At about 4:16 a.m. on Aug. 13, police responded to a motor vehicle collision on the Major Deegan Expressway near 238th Street within the 50th Precinct.
According to an initial NYPD investigation, a 2018 Honda Accord was disabled in the left lane of the expressway after the driver lost control on the rain-soaked roadway and hit a wall.
The driver, 22-year-old Justin Francisco, exited the vehicle to inspect the damage.
While inspecting his car, a 61-year-old man driving a 2021 Subaru CTX southbound drove into it. The Subaru pushed the parked car forward into Francisco, throwing the young man over the center wall of the highway into oncoming northbound traffic.
Then, a 37-year-old man driving a 2021 Jeep Wrangler in the left lane northbound on the expressway hit Francisco.
The driver of the Jeep then lost control on the wet road, hit the right-side wall and the car turned over onto its passenger side. The car continued to slide along the road, partially pushing the driver out through the soft-top roof of the car.
EMS pronounced Francisco dead at the scene and the 37-year-old Jeep driver was brought to Saint Barnabas in critical condition. The 61-year-old Subaru driver and a 20-year-old passenger in his car, as well as two passengers in Francisco’s car — ages 22 and 23 — were not injured, according to the NYPD.
Francisco, who technically became a pedestrian once he exited his car, was the 18th pedestrian fatality on a Bronx highway since 2019, and the third one year to date, according to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT). Five of the 18 incidents took place on the Major Deegan, including Sunday’s incident, according to DOT data.
So what does the city advise drivers to do, should they find themselves in the same scenario Francisco was in?
A DOT spokesperson referred the Bronx Times to the NYPD, saying the NYPD’s Chief of Transportation’s office takes the lead on safety messaging in these situations, but added that the city generally advises drivers to call 911 to report a disabled vehicle on a limited access highway, bridge or tunnel.
The NYPD did not say what safety guidance it gives to drivers who find themselves with a disabled car on a highway when asked by the Bronx Times. The policy agency also did not answer additional questions about the incident, only saying there are no updates and the investigation remains ongoing.
Insurance company Progressive recommends drivers move their car to the shoulder, turn on the hazard lights and set an emergency or parking break if their car breaks down on the highway. Call roadside assistance, a mechanic or tow truck service or 911 for help.
According to Progressive, the Insurance Information Institute advises that in most situations, it’s safer to stay in the car — with a seat belt on — if the driver cannot exit the highway.
If it’s necessary to get out of the vehicle, it’s best to do so on the side away from the road, and standing a few paces away from the car can be an added safety measure, according to the insurance company.
Reach Aliya Schneider at aschneider@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4597. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
