Tow truck driver killed while aiding disabled car on Long Island Expressway
A tow truck driver aiding a broken-down car was hit by another vehicle and killed early Saturday, and a motorist was arrested, police said.
The chain-reaction crash happened around 3:30 a.m. on the Long Island Expressway in Queens.
Police said a preliminary investigation showed the tow truck driver was hitching up a disabled Nissan sedan when a Dodge Durango crashed into a Volkswagen SUV in the nearby travel lanes.
The impact sent the Volkswagen hurtling into the tow truck driver and the Durango into the broken-down Nissan, which then knocked down its owner, who was standing nearby.
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Police found both men lying on the pavement. They were taken to a hospital, where the 47-year-old tow truck operator died and the 27-year-old Nissan owner is in serious condition with leg injuries, police said.
The Durango driver, his two passengers, and the Volkswagen driver were taken to another hospital in stable condition.
Police said the 28-year-old Durango driver was arrested. He's awaiting arraignment, and it isn't immediately clear whether he has a lawyer who can comment on the arrest.