Seven people were killed on April 29, 2012 when a minivan lost control and plummeted over 12 feet from a Bronx River Parkway overpass, eventually coming to a halt in the Bronx Zoo, law enforcement stated. Three young girls, ages 12, 10, and 7, three women, ages 80, 45, and 30, and an 84-year-old man were all injured or killed in the horrible Bronx Zoo minivan crash. The van passengers were the only casualties as a result of the tragedy. A city official stated that they were all from the same Bronx family, the NY Times reported.
The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m., just north of East 180th street. It appears as if a blown tire may have been the cause of the accident. A police spokesman stated that the minivan was driving south in the passing lane and lost control, hitting the median. The van then veered right across the two southbound lanes and flew over the guardrail and into the woods, landing on the roof of the van.
Investigators responding to the accident hypothesized that the van, operated by a 45-year-old woman, was driving at roughly 70 miles per hour. There were no evident signs of skid marks prior to the moment that the car actually hit the Jersey barrier before hitting the guardrail on the right, officials indicated.
For the second time in a year, an accident on the Bronx River Parkway has led to a car falling off the highway to the streets below.