BY JACOB KAYE, EMILY DAVENPORT, DEAN MOSES & TODD MAISEL
A man who was sitting in his car has died after a tree fell on his vehicle early Tuesday afternoon in Briarwood.
Fire officials say that FDNY personnel were called to 143-20 84th Dr. at 1:04 p.m. on Aug. 4 regarding a car that was hit by a tree. The incident occurred in the midst of Tropical Storm Isaias.
Upon arriving, EMS personnel found a man stuck in the car, according to the FDNY. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
A local resident said she believed the man was a construction worker, on the job at a nearby construction site.
“He was working on the building and he might have been eating his lunch,” the local resident said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed the death during an interview on 1010 WINS radio this afternoon, warning residents to stay indoors until at least 5 p.m. when the storm is expected to pass the city. He warned that other trees are liable to fall and cautioned residents to be on guard.
“It’s very dangerous out there from the winds, and we have a few more hours of the very high winds,” de Blasio said. “This is a big issue around the city and what happened in Queens is a sad and horrible situation – just when a person is there, then instantly they are gone. It was a very sudden situation.”
The mayor said more than 2,000 trees had fallen in the city due to the storm, damaging power lines, vehicles and killing the man in Queens. Several people were also injured, police say.
The victim has not yet been identified by police, pending family notifications.
The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
This story was updated at 5:38 p.m., on Aug. 4, 2020.
