A tragic accident unfolded in Midtown Manhattan when a worker replacing a billboard for Victoria’s Secret was killed after an MTA bus struck the boom lift he was in. The incident occurred yesterday evening near Rockefeller Center, causing the death of a 39-year-old man identified as Vladimir Cruz. The NYPD confirmed Cruz was working on Fifth Avenue near East 51st Street when the M1 bus, driven by a 44-year-old, collided with the lift that was "protruding into the roadway."
As a result of the crash, Cruz, a resident of the Melrose section of the Bronx, fell from the lift and suffered severe head and body trauma. He was quickly taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The bus driver, who stayed at the scene after the accident, has not been charged as investigations continue to unfold. Police sources informed NY Daily News that no passengers aboard the bus were injured during the incident.
An MTA spokesperson confirmed the involvement of an M1 bus that was in service during the time of the incident. The spokesperson told Gothamist that the passengers were safely transferred to another bus and deferred to the public safety agencies for further details. A representative for the MTA underscored the fact that no MTA passengers were reported to have been injured as a result of the accident.
The NYPD has yet to formally press any charges against the driver as the investigation into the cause of the crash moves forward.
