A 31-year-old man is dead after losing control of his car on the Belt Parkway early Sunday and crashing into a tree.
The crash occurred at around 12:21 am on Nov. 22, when the driver of a recent model Infiniti traveling westbound at a high speed veered off the parkway just past Exit 9 at Knapp Street in Sheepshead Bay and struck a large tree — tearing his car into pieces.
The vehicle was ripped in two, leaving the engine block near the tree and the rest of the car sitting on the grass about 30 feet away. Authorities said the car’s catalytic converter flew out of the wrecked sedan and struck a vehicle parked about 100 feet away.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene and extricated the severely injured driver from what was left of his vehicle. Paramedics rushed him to Coney Island Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police later identified the driver as Jason Rivera, 31, of Shore Parkway in Canarsie.
The Belt Parkway’s westbound lanes were shut for several hours as members of the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad combed through the wreckage.
This particular part of the Belt Parkway, the sharp curve just past the Knapp Street overpass, has seen its fair share of past crashes. Speeding vehicles have been known to overturn, crash, or collide with other vehicles due to the high speed at which some drivers traverse the area.
Highway Patrol officers have also been known to stop drivers at this point for speeding.
This story first appeared on AMNY.com.
