Police say the man killed was struck as he was trying to help people injured in the accidents.
The accidents closed the westbound lanes, at Webster Avenue, and one eastbound lane for hours for the investigation. Traffic was backed up for over an hour on the George Washington Bridge.
First, a yellow 2012 GMC van collided in the westbound lanes with a 2018 Honda Civic at around 1:17 a.m. Monday morning.
A 2015 Mercedes Benz then collided with the Civic.
A BMW then hit the Benz.
Police responding to the crashes found a 2002 Chevy Trailblazer pulled over in the left lane.
The man inside had exited his vehicle and was struck by a vehicle in the eastbound lanes, which left the scene.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified as 28-year-old Jaquan Cesar of Beacon, NY.
Police say his car door was open and his cell phone was left on the seat.
The driver of the Civic was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition. A woman was also hospitalized in stable condition.
The Cross Bronx Expressway was shut down for up to eight hours as police investigated the cause of the accident, leaving many drivers stuck during the morning commute.
----------
* More Bronx news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube