Just before 2 a.m., the Toyota Camry TLC livery vehicle travelling west on the Cross Bronx Expressway near Castle Hill Avenue smashed into the rear of a flatbed truck that was parked in the left lane of the roadway.
The operator of the flatbed was in the process of removing a broken down vehicle there when struck.
The 45-year-old driver of the TLC vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. He has been identified as Leonel Paulino.
A 27-year-old female passenger in the vehicle was seriously injured and taken to St Barnabas Hospital where she is said to be in stable condition.
Speed is believed to have been a factor in the accident, police said.