Fatal collision in Dyker Heights

The streets of Brooklyn have claimed another life as a 71-year-old man was killed as a result of a collision in Dyker Heights.

James McCloskey, a resident of Ovington Avenue, was fatally struck while he was sitting in a bus shelter on Bay Ridge Parkway near 13th Avenue on Tuesday, September 17 at about 11:39 a.m.

According to information released by the NYPD, police responding to 9-1-1 calls of a pedestrian struck at the location discovered that a gray 1996 Isuzu Oasis minivan traveling southbound on 13th Avenue approaching Bay Ridge Parkway had been hit by a 1996 Dodge Ram pickup truck that was traveling eastbound on Bay Ridge Parkway.

The impact caused the pickup to veer towards the northeast corner of the intersection mounting the curb and striking McCloskey as he sat in the shelter. He was taken to Lutheran Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m.

Residents contend that enforcement is needed for speeding, especially along this thoroughfare.

“The speeding vehicles on Bay Ridge Parkway, plus the trucks — the combination of the two is lethal,” said Dyker Heights resident Bob Cassara. “Dollars to donuts, they were probably zipping. I try to keep it under 30 miles per hour [the speed limit] and people are on my back, speeding around and honking their horn. But to what effect, so they can get stuck at the next light?”

Cassara said that more speed limit signs need to be posted and more enforcement is needed.

“[The Police Department] says they give out x amount of tickets for speeding, but people are speeding all the time, blowing through red lights,” he explained. “Am I surprised that something like this happened? No. It’s not the first time someone was hit on Bay Ridge Parkway and it won’t be the last until they do something about it.”

Police are still investigating the incident.