Horrific, deadly crash on Fort Hamilton Pkwy

Two dead, five others injured
BOROUGH PARK Police say the force of the crash, involving a stolen 1995 gray Nissan Altima, flipped a van operated by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner at the intersection of Fort Hamilton Parkway and 44th Street just before 3:15 a.m.

The van was headed southbound on Fort Hamilton Parkway when it was hit by the Altima, traveling east on 44th Street, according to officials.

Authorities say The van flipped onto a light pole, tearing it out of the ground. The Nissan came to a rest in front of a 24-hour Laundromat, temporarily trapping the people inside.

All five people inside the Nissan were reportedly pinned inside the wreck and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The 30-year-old male driver, identified as Jason Gonzalez, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 20-year-old female backseat passenger, identified as Anne Marie Calderone, was pronounced dead at Maimonides Medical Center.

One witness saw the victims, all men, lying in the street.

The 25-year-old front passenger, Robert Balaguer, and the two women in the backseat were treated for various injuries at Lutheran Medical Center. The two women have been identified as Jackie Major and Sandra Hoffman.

Two others inside the overturned Medical Examiner's Office van, ages 50 and 44, were hurt. One is listed in stable condition, and the other was treated and released.

The Altima was reported stolen on Saturday. Police were checking with the car's owner.

The crash shut down what is described as a dangerous stretch of Fort Hamilton Parkway, where there were numerous accidents over the past few years.

"This is the corner of death," said Ronny Madrigal, who lives above the intersection.

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