Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Fatal Crash Kills Beloved Young Brooklyn Sad on 'Deathtrap' Street by Ryan Lavis, Rocco Parascandola & Barry Paddock - NY Times

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A young father died in a fatal crash on what neighbors called a 'deathtrap' street.
Twisted metal and a white sheet over the body of a beloved young dad dramatically tell the story of a crash that left a Brooklyn family grieving and a Queens neighborhood reeling.
Geraud Gray, 24, of East Flatbush, lost control of his black 2003 Nissan on a curve, slamming into the pole on North Conduit Ave. near 78th St. in Ozone Park about 10:16 a.m. yesterday, authorities said.
Witnesses reported he was speeding and driving erratically on a stretch of North Conduit Ave. that's a hot spot for drag-racing, cops said.
Witnesses told cops they saw two other vehicles speed by moments before Gray crashed.
"It was mangled," stunned neighbor Jackie Pellegrino, 60, said of the car, which wound up flipped over on its roof.
"This street is a deathtrap," agreed her daughter, Jodie, 33. "I wouldn't even walk my dog on this street. I'm petrified."

Amazingly, an 18-year-old man in the passenger seat somehow survived and is in stable condition at Brookdale University Hospital, authorities said. His name was not released.
Gray, who worked for FedEx, had a 2-year-old son.
"He was loved by all," said friend Selly Richards, 41. "He was a family man. He spent a lot of time with his kid."
Photo and video by: Todd Maisel - Daily News