Driver Charged With Murder After Man Struck By Van, Dragged 2 Blocks In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A driver is charged with murder after an apparent road rage incident ended with a man's death.
The incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Third Avenue and 67th Street in Bay Ridge. Investigators say the incident started with a fender bender.
The driver of the van, identified as David Cruz, and the victim, Gavriel Mardaknayevy -- who police said was a passenger in the car driven by his wife -- got out and were arguing.
When both vehicles were stopped at the intersection, detectives say Mardaknayevy stood in front of the van to confront Cruz.
That's when police said Cruz stepped on the gas and ran Mardaknayevy over, dragging him two blocks from 65th Street to 67th Street, CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.
"All you see is the guy under the wheel and the wife is crying," said witness Malook Khaskhali. "She's just walking back and forth. Everyone was trying to calm her down. The firefighters ran and a bunch of guys started lifting the car up and then they you know took the body out."
"The guy got out of the car and said, 'you hit me, hold on' and then the guy just hit him, killed him and dragged him for two blocks," witness Michael Offman told 1010 WINS' Al Jones.
Mardaknayevy was taken to Lutheran Hospital, where he died.
Witness Aldijana Markovic told CBS2's Jessica Moore she's still shaking from what she witnessed Thursday night in Bay Ridge.
"I saw the man under the van and it was very sad. Very very sad," Markovic said. "She was screaming at the top of her lungs, and whining, 'he's dead, he's dead, he's dead' it was very sad."
Offman said he used his car to cut off Cruz's escape and held him for police.
"And then I got him out of the car, put his hands up," he said. "And then the cops came within a minute."
Witnesses said a good Samaritan held Cruz until police arrived and took him into custody.
"It was scary because if this happened to my son, and my family, 'oh god, it's too much," Aida Hassan said.
Mardaknayevy's neighbors were just finding out about his death on Friday night.
"Oh my god I did not know about this news. I'm so sorry to hear. He was a nice man, really," one neighbor said.
Cruz, 55, of Brooklyn, was charged with murder Friday night.
