A 68-year-old man was killed Thursday morning when a parked pickup truck began rolling backward and crushed him at a work site in Blauvelt, Rockland County.
The accident occurred on Bradley Parkway at around 8:21 a.m., when Orangetown police received an emergency call reporting a serious incident at a local work site. Officers arriving at the scene found the man unconscious and trapped beneath a Ford pickup truck. Emergency medical teams and paramedics attempted to treat him, but his injuries were severe and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Orangetown police released new details from the initial investigation this week, revealing that the pickup had been parked with no driver inside when it suddenly began moving backward down the slope, struck the man and ran over him.
Police confirmed the victim was 68 years old but have not yet officially released his name or occupation, though local reports indicate he was a landscaping worker operating at the site at the time.
A large response was dispatched to the scene, including the Rockland County Sheriff's Office criminal investigations unit, New York State Police, Blauvelt volunteer fire department, and ambulance crews from South Orangetown and Rockland paramedics. Because the accident occurred at a work site, a representative from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration also arrived to examine safety protocols at the location.
Orangetown police's accident investigation team continues to examine the circumstances of the tragedy, with the central focus on understanding why the pickup began moving backward without a driver. At this stage, investigators are exploring all possibilities, including mechanical failure, brake malfunction, improper gear engagement or human error when parking the vehicle, but no official determination has been released.
Blauvelt is located in southern Rockland County, near the towns of Orangetown, Tappan and Orangeburg, and a short drive from the county's largest and most central chareidi communities, including Monsey, New Square and Spring Valley. Due to the geographic proximity and the heavy traffic of community residents on the area's roads, the news drew widespread attention among local residents. Orangetown police have issued a public appeal asking anyone who was in the area at the time of the accident, witnessed the incident or has information that could assist the investigation to contact the police station immediately.
