In recent sad news concerning our New York community, Sunday Gedalia Gruntzweig was hit by a city sanitation truck while crossing the street on Kingston Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The 25-year-old rabbinical student was in town to celebrate his friend’s wedding ceremony and was on his way to a morning prayer service but was killed, trying to make a right onto Carroll Street. One witness stated that the driver, Marlon Martinez, who was traveling north on Kingston Avenue, didn’t see Gruntzweig crossing.
One witness, Nechoma Rotenberg Hecht, 34, stated that she was in her blue minivan right behind the garbage truck and witnessed the tragedy. She says that “from the look on his face, he knew he was about to get hit and turned around to walk back. That’s when the side of the truck hit him.” Surveillance video shows the truck had hit Gruntzweig while one of his friends managed to run back. The student was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident and no summonses were issued as Martinez was released. According to one source “The department mourns this tragedy, and will work with the (NYPD) in their . . . investigation” and the Department of Sanitation sends their “deepest condolences to the family” as well as Crown Heights community.
As lawyers who prosecute significant damage claims against the City of New York for their drivers’ negligence, we make sure that filing is done under Section 50-e of the General Municipal Law, all tort claims against the City of New York should are filed with The Comptroller of the City of New York, unless it is one of these entities, where the notice must be filed directly:
New York City Transit Authority
New York City Housing Authority
Triboro Bridge & Tunnel Authority
Port Authority of NY and NJ
Manhattan, Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MABSTOA)
New York City School Construction Authority
New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation
Staten Island Rapid Transit Authority
MTA Bus Company
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority
