Tow Truck Operator Killed on Long Island Expressway
Police said Denzel Porter, an allegedly drunk Dodge Durango driver, caused a Long Island Expressway crash that killed tow truck operator Carlos Santiago as he helped a stranded driver in Elmhurst.
What We Know
Carlos Santiago, a 47-year-old tow truck operator for Knights Towing, was working in the roadway on the Long Island Expressway in Elmhurst when he was killed about 3:30 a.m. Police told the Daily News that Santiago had come to help a 27-year-old man with a disabled Nissan sedan near Exit 19. The official crash record lists alcohol involvement and records one pedestrian killed, five people injured, and four vehicles: two westbound SUVs, a parked sedan and a parked diesel tractor truck. The Daily News reported that police arrested Denzel Porter, the allegedly drunk driver of a Dodge Durango, on vehicular manslaughter charges.
The crash happened on the LIE in Elmhurst
The crash was recorded on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. The Daily News placed Santiago near Exit 19 in Elmhurst, on the Manhattan-bound side of the highway.
A tow truck operator, father and coworker
The Daily News identified Santiago as a Howard Beach father of three who worked for Knights Towing. Friends, coworkers and family gathered outside Queens Criminal Court after the crash, the paper reported.
Police cited alcohol and an arrest
The official crash record lists alcohol involvement as a contributing factor. The Daily News reported that police arrested Denzel Porter, described as the allegedly drunk driver of a Dodge Durango, on vehicular manslaughter charges.