A Howard Beach man who crashed his car while allegedly under the influence of heroin died in the 106th Precinct’s cell area on Thursday, April 30.
Nicholas Cammarata, 58, was driving a brown 1998 Chevrolet Blazer near Cross Bay Boulevard and Linden Boulevard in Ozone Park around 2 p.m., when he crashed, according to the NYPD. When police arrived to the scene, they found that Cammarata appeared to have no signs of trauma from the crash but was unconscious and unresponsive, police say.
Cammarata was administered NARCAN by EMS personnel and became conscious, according to the authorities. While on the trip to Jamaica Hospital, Cammarata muttered to an EMT that he had taken heroin, police sources say.
Cammarata was admitted to the hospital and placed under arrest around 3:15 p.m. after being charged with operating a motor vehicle while impaired with drugs, according to the NYPD.
About four hours later, around 7 p.m., Cammarata was released from the hospital and taken to the 106th Precinct for processing, cops say.
Cammarata was finger printed at 8 p.m. and put inside a holding cell, according to police. Around 9:20 p.m., officers from the precinct came to the cell to transfer Cammarata only to discover he was unconscious and unresponsive, according to the authorities.
EMS personnel arrived to the precinct to try and revive him, but they were unsuccessful, according to the police. Cammarata was pronounced dead at the precinct at 10:08 p.m., according to the NYPD.
The medical examiner will determine the cause of Cammarata’s death.
An investigation by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is ongoing.
