MTA: Officer Struck By Car On Verrazano Bridge Dies From Injuries
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An MTA officer succumbed Monday to injuries he suffered when he was struck last year by a car on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the agency said.
Thomas Choi, 62, is the first officer to die in the line of duty in the 81-year history of MTA Bridges and Tunnels, also known as the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority.
Choi was struck when he was removing barrels while reopening the Brooklyn-bound lower level of the bridge on Oct. 20, 2013. The lower level of the bridge is closed on weekends from midnight until about 8 a.m.
He was treated at Staten Island University Hospital and Seaview Rehabilitation Center but never regained consciousness, the MTA said.
"Officer Choi dedicated himself to serving and protecting everyone who travels the bridges and tunnels that unite New York, and all of us at the MTA join in mourning him," MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast said in a news release. "We send our deepest condolences to his family."
"The entire MTA Bridges and Tunnels family is deeply saddened by the loss of Officer Choi," added MTA Bridges and Tunnels President James Ferrara. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of his colleagues who have worked with him. He was genuinely liked by all who knew him."
The 26-year-old female driver of the car that hit Choi remained at the scene. Police determined there was no criminality involved, and the Bayonne, New Jersey, resident was not charged.
Choi is survived by a grown daughter and son.
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