Six people were killed — including the bishop and pastor of a Bronx church — when their van’s rear tire blew out Saturday, ending with the vehicle repeatedly rolling over on the New York State Thruway.
In addition to the fatalities, eight of the van’s passengers were injured in the accident, which took place around 3 p.m. Saturday near the Woodbury Commons outlet mall in New York. Bodies were scattered on the Thruway, covered with sheets.
There were 14 people in the Ford van, members of the Joy Fellowship Chutch who were on their way to visit a sister church, First Light Christian Assemblies, in Albany, N.Y.
In its account, The New York Times quoted Pasquale Prozzillo, a second assistant chief in the Woodbury Fire Department, who said the van’s driver lost control after the vehicle blew its tire.
“The van rolled three to four times,” Prozzillo told The Times. “Seven people got ejected.”
The church’s bishop, Simon White, died in the accident, as did his wife Zelda White, and pastor Titus McGhie. The other fatalities were Avril Murray, Evelyn Ferguson and Elaine Reid.
One survivor, Veronica Francis, 52, had injuries to both legs and a deep cut above her eye. Her husband Patrick told the New York Post that his wife lost consciousness when the van rolled over, which means she also suffered a concussion.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/thruway_horror_Pr1fLvQsZaOVzK2a3EjMKJ
