By Jeremy Walsh
A Jamaica man was killed last week when his car was struck by an 18-wheeler on the Long Island Expressway in Maspeth, police said.
At 2:55 a.m. Aug. 6, Nicholas Rosiclair, 61, got involved in a minor traffic accident with another car in the westbound lanes, police said. Both vehicles pulled to the shoulder and the drivers exchanged information, police said.
The other driver successfully pulled back into traffic, but Rosiclair evidently did not see the oncoming tractor-trailer, police said. The truck smashed into Rosclair's white sedan, killing him, police said. The 18-wheeler's evasive efforts also caused a nearby city ambulance to crash into another car, police said.
Police did not charge the truck driver with any criminality in the incident.
In 2007, traffic fatalities fell to an all-time low in the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office said. There were 271 traffic deaths in 2007, the last year for which full data is available, compared with 321 deaths in 2006.
Of the 2007 deaths, 136 victims were in cars or on motorcycles compared with 142 in 2006.
Reach reporter Jeremy Walsh by e-mail at jwalsh@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
