A New York City Parks Department worker ran over a man sleeping on the beach at Coney Island early Monday (July 18) morning. The worker was accompanying a vehicle that cleans the sand in a Ford F-250 pickup truck around 3 a.m. when he struck the person.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to save the victim, who was pronounced dead. Officials said the man, who was not identified, was in his 40s or 50s. It is unclear if he was homeless or why he was sleeping on the beach.
The driver remained at the scene and was cooperating with the investigation. The 46-year-old worker is not expected to face charges.
“This is a horrific tragedy,” Parks spokeswoman Meghan Lalor told the New York Daily News. “We are investigating the incident internally.”
The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is also assisting the Parks Department in the investigation.
