A rabbinical student struck by a garbage truck on Sunday morning died at the scene of the accident, officials said.

Ukrainian-born Gedalia Gruntzweig was struck while crossing an intersection in Crown Heights. The 25-year-old was reportedly on his way to a friend’s engagement party, according to the New York Post.

“I heard these terrible screams,” witness Abraham Greisman told the Post. “All I saw was the truck, the driver getting out, pacing back and forth. He must have been in shock.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Witness reports conflicted with police statements, which said that Gruntzweig had the walk signal at the time he crossed the intersection.

The truck driver remained on the scene. A Brooklyn councilwoman told the New York Times that police are reviewing surveillance videos and witnesses testimony.

Gruntzweig has been identified as a student at Tiferes Bachurim, a Chabad-Labavitch yeshiva located in Morristown, NJ, and was reportedly studying to become a rabbi, JTA reported.

The Department of Sanitation released a statement expressing its “deepest condolences to the family” and the entire community.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount