Rabbinical Student Killed in Garbage Truck Accident
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.”
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.
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