CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (PIX11)— New York City Parks Department vehicles fatally struck a man who was sleeping on the beach in Coney Island early Monday morning, authorities said.
The drivers of a pickup truck and another vehicle were cleaning the sand close to Surf and Stillwell avenues around 2:30 a.m. when they ran over the 50-year-old man, police said. The victim died at the scene 20 minutes later, officials said.
The drivers told police they did not see the man because the beach was dark. The Parks Department regularly does overnight cleanups to maintain the beach, according to an agency source.
“This is a horrific tragedy,” a spokeswoman for the NYC Parks Department said. “We are investigating the incident internally.”
A police investigation remained ongoing.
