Toddler Killed, Relatives Injured On Bruckner

A little girl was killed when a garbage truck rear-ended her relatives’ car on Bruckner Boulevard. According to police, a Chevy Malibu carrying three-year-old Brooklyn native Sophia Aguirre, her mother and grandparents was traveling north on the Bruckner on Saturday, April 29. Aguirre’s 52-year-old grandmother was driving the car around 10 a.m. when she slowed down to avoid a raised metal sewer cap on the milled roadway at East 144th Street and Southern Boulevard. The toddler was sitting inside a car seat when a privately owned sanitation truck swerved to avoid a parked car and struck the Chevy Malibu causing it to slam into a metal pole. All four victims were rushed to Lincoln Hospital where Sophia was pronounced deceased. Police said the adults sustained minor injuries and are listed in stable condition. The truck driver remained at the scene and no criminality is suspected. A NYC Department of Transportation spokesman stated the road was milled a week ago and was scheduled to be repaved soon. Following the crash, DOT staff visited the scene to search for any issues with the street. The agency determined the street is safe, but is still investigating the incident. Photo by Edwin Soto