Seven members of a New York family were killed yesterday after their SUV left a Bronx River Parkway overpass and fell 60 feet into a non-public area of the Bronx Zoo.
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the New York City car accident to occur. Apparently the vehicle struck a Jersey barrier in the center of the highway before veering right and hitting the curb. The vehicle then became airborne and left the overpass without ever making contact with the guardrail.
It is still unclear why the driver lost control of her vehicle. Investigators estimated that the vehicle was proceeding at about 70 mph in the moments before the crash.
The accident marked the deadliest New York City traffic accident since a March 2011 Bronx bus crash that killed 15. Yesterday’s crash claimed the lives of two sisters, their parents and three children, ages 10, 7 and 3.
Accident Leading to Concerns Over Highway’s Safety
The accident has breathed new life into a debate over whether the Bronx River Parkway is safely designed.
This is not the first time an accident of this type has occurred on the highway. In a similar crash last June, a car hit the median, flew into the air and fell about 30 feet onto East 180th Street. Both of that vehicle’s occupants survived.
At the time, officials thought that the accident might have been a rare outlier. But, now that it has happened again, the state Department of Transportation is looking into the issue to see if additional infrastructure – like higher guardrails – needs to be installed.
In the meantime, New York City drivers would be wise to exercise extra caution when traveling on this stretch of road.