A 59-year-old man is in critical condition after he was struck by a U.S. Post Office truck traveling straight ahead on a Manhattan street on Sunday morning, police said.
The victim, not identified as of yet, was reported in critical condition at Bellevue Hospital with multiple injuries.
The incident occurred at 11:45 a.m. on May 10 in front of 46 West 14th St., between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Sources said the driver of the postal truck was traveling eastbound on West 14th Street when the victim was said to have walked into the street in the middle of the nearly empty block.
Police from the 6th and 10th Precincts raced to the scene where they found the victim next to the passenger side back wheel of the truck, about four feet from the curb. EMS rushed the victim, unconscious to the hospital.
The block — normally teeming with pedestrians — was like a ghost town, police said, and there were few witnesses to the incident.
Detectives were seeking surveillance camera footage, but many of the stores on the block are closed because of COVID-19 shutdowns.
A black winter coat was left at the scene after the victim was removed. Some officers believed that the victim may have been homeless.
It was unclear why the victim was crossing mid-block.
The driver of the postal truck was tested for alcohol consumption but has not been charged with any crime at this time.
West 14th Street was closed for several hours, though few vehicles use the street during this period, as the road is closed to all vehicles except local deliveries and M14 buses.
Postal officials had no comment at this time. The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is looking into the case.
