Passenger Dies When Minivan Crashes Into Backhoe In ENY, Cops Say

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — A suspected drunken driver slammed his minivan into a construction digger Wednesday morning and his passenger died in the crash, police said.

The 31-year-old driver crashed his red minivan into a parked and unoccupied backhoe near Atlantic and Georgia avenues shortly after 5 a.m., police said.

Medics rushed both the driver and his passenger to Brookdale Hospital, but doctors were unable to save the passenger's life, said police.

Police had the 31-year-old in their custody about 7:30 a.m. and he is expected to be charged with driving under the influence, according to the NYPD.

Those charges may change as police learn more information about the driver's condition.