Overview
- Police are investigating if improper plowing contributed to the Feb. 6 crash that killed 50-year-old livery driver Carlos Asitimbay near the Van Wyck exit in Queens.
- Less than two hours before the collision, a city sanitation vehicle reportedly pushed snow and ice from the shoulder into the right lane, and at least one fender-bender occurred there earlier.
- A Department of Sanitation supervisor was placed on a 10-day unpaid leave, according to city sources, while the agency awaits the NYPD’s findings before any further action.
- The tractor-trailer driver who struck Asitimbay’s car after it hit the median was treated for minor injuries and has not been charged.
- Family members and taxi-industry representatives say the death was preventable and note that pushing snow into active lanes is prohibited on highways.