Brooklyn Chain-Reaction Crash, Gravesend Man Placido D’Andrea Killed Near Home in FDNY Truck Collision.
BROOKLYN, NY — A quiet Brooklyn neighborhood is mourning the loss of a longtime resident after a devastating chain-reaction crash involving a fire truck left one man dead and several others injured Tuesday evening.
Authorities identified the victim as 78-year-old Placido D’Andrea, a resident of the Gravesend section of New York City. The fatal crash occurred around 6:45 p.m. at the intersection of West 11th Street and Avenue S. According to officials, a truck from New York City Fire Department Tower Ladder 149 collided with a white commercial van traveling north on West 11th Street.
Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment when the ladder truck struck the van, triggering a chain reaction. After the initial impact, the fire truck crashed head-on into an Access-A-Ride vehicle carrying D’Andrea and his wife. The force of the collision pushed the van into a Lexus behind it, creating a multi-vehicle pileup.
D’Andrea, who was riding inside the Access-A-Ride vehicle, was pronounced dead following the crash. His wife, who was traveling with him after receiving medical treatment, was hospitalized and remains under care. Neighbors say the couple lived just half a block from the intersection and were returning home when the tragedy occurred.
Witnesses described the family as kind and quiet, often seen sitting together on their porch. Several residents said the couple’s daughter was at home at the time and rushed to the scene after learning about the crash involving her parents.
In total, six firefighters, the drivers of the commercial van, Lexus, and Access-A-Ride vehicle, along with three other civilians, were hospitalized with injuries. Officials say all are currently in stable condition.
The FDNY confirmed the truck was relocating to assist another fire company responding to an active emergency. The crash remains under investigation.









