Harlem Man Killed In Tow-Truck Crash In The Bronx, Police Say

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem man died while biking in the Bronx on Thursday when he was pinned underneath a car that was being towed, according to police.

Carlos Martinez, 53, was riding along Bruckner Boulevard just before 1 p.m. Thursday, when he approached the intersection of East 136th Street.

As he neared the corner, a 62-year-old man was driving a tow truck in the same direction, while pulling the front cab of a truck. At the intersection, police said Martinez lost control of his bicycle and fell to the ground as the tow truck passed alongside him.

Martinez was then run over by the front driver's side tire of the truck cab that was being towed, according to police. Officers found Martinez unconscious and unresponsive, with trauma to the head and body.

He was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, but could not be saved.

Other reports have differed from the NYPD's account, however: according to Streetsblog, Martinez may have been squeezed by a Con Ed construction project that forced him into close proximity with the truck, with video contradicting the claim that he lost control of his bike.

The Daily News also reported that the tow-truck driver did not stay at the scene — a detail not included in the police report.

The truck driver was unhurt. Police have made no arrests, but said an investigation is ongoing by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad.

Martinez lived on East 115th Street, near Madison Avenue, according to police.

Since 2011, 21 people have been injured in a combined 13 crashes at the same Bronx intersection where Martinez was killed — including 20 drivers and one cyclist, according to city data.