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TRAGEDY: Noted Mashpia Dies in Vehicular Accident

A noted Mashpia, who served as a longtime Mashgiach of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim-770, was run over multiple times by a car on the corner of Empire Blvd. and Balfour Place. After frantic efforts to save his life, the man tragically passed away from his injuries.

The incident occurred today, Monday, at around 5:30pm.

The man – who is not being named pending notification of his 91-year-old mother – was crossing the street alongside his wife when he was hit and run over by a white livery cab.

The driver, realizing that he had hit something but unaware that it was a person, backed up his car – running the man over a second time; in the ensuing mayhem, the driver then drove forward – running him over a third time.

Witnessing the horrific crash and first on scene was a pair of Shomrim volunteers, both of whom immediately sprang into action, forcing the driver to stop his vehicle while calling for emergency rescue services and attempting to free the gravely injured man from under the vehicle.

Together with a number of bystanders they attempted to lift the car enough to free the man. Another Shomrim volunteer arrived with a large car jack and further lifted the car, at which point firefighters arrived on scene and joined in the rescue effort.

Hatzalah then arrived on scene and immediately began CPR, which continued once he was freed and in the ambulance. He was rushed to nearby Kings County Hospital where he later passed away.

The scene remained closed off for many hours while police conducted an investigation into the crash. The driver remained on scene and was questions by authorities.

Once the NYPD Crash Investigation Squad completed their investigation they turned the scene over to volunteers with Chesed Shel Emes who ensured that proper Kavod HaMes [respect for the dead] was performed.

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53 Comments

  • malca b

    my heart goes out to his wife who witnessed this and his childtren – please, we need mosiach NOW

  • Terrorism?

    Who runs over someone 3 times? Almost sounds like a terrorist attack… We all know the ethnicity of most of these cabs anyways…

  • Anonymous

    Come on his life was for moshiach mshiras nefesh
    He must be making a sturem to bring moshiach now

  • SMH

    the driver should get the death penalty this was no accident!!

    but of course he will let go free because he hit a jew

    • Pathetic

      What are you talking about??? When did one person get off because they hurt or killed a jew?

    • CH RESIDENT

      Why do you say this wasn’t an accident? Are you saying that the driver’s actions were deliberate? Your comments make no sense.

  • terrible news

    He was regular attendee at rabbi levin’s weekly halacha shiiur in empire shtiebel. Chaval al deavdin… he was not elderly…. he was 66 years young. …

  • 3 times! run over!!!

    i wonder if the driver had intent, like the recent car “accidents” in israel R’L

    looks like the car came on, or very close to, the curb.

    investigate. investigate. investigate.

    • TIME FOR ACTION!!

      posting comments and complaining is NOT ENOUGH!!

      the community should arrange an URGENT meeting, with the detectives investigating the case to see if “all angles” were thoroughly investigated.

  • david

    people were yelling at the driver but he would not listen

    the driver did not care and should be charged

  • MORE INFO?!

    why do we know the drivers version of events is correct?
    was their a thorough investigation that determined that?

  • respect for a mashpia

    Firstly he’s not so old. Secondly he’s a mashpia in crown heights. Not just any man.

  • Shara

    And you guys cry when you see the police ticketing people all day on empire. You should be thanking them not yelling at them.

  • RS

    Is there a crosswalk over there? Was he walking in the middle of traffic? I don’t remember a crosswalk at that particular spot. Oh what a tragedy, both for the family and the driver. He must be overcome with grief too. Sad, sad day

  • sickening

    Are the Jews rioting now that an African American ran a Jewish man over today 3 times!!

  • disappointed

    jewish man? name withheld? who are ypu kidding everyone knew it was Kuti Rapp. but 3 times? that is no accident that should be vehicular manslaughter!

  • JooTube

    What happened to the driver? What was he charged with. What is his ethnicity and faith?

  • URGENT MEETING!!

    with the heads of the community and the commanding officers of the precinct should take place, and demand that a thorough and exhausting investigation was done to determine that no malice intend or negligence was involved.
    as they would in any vehicular death, no to mention running him over 3 TIMES!

  • Same driver

    This is the same driver that killed mes rapkin 8 years ago in about the same spot

  • Yud Beis Tammuz

    Rabbi Rapp brought Israeli dignitaries to the Rebbe. He had a very special role for many years. This in addition to all his other projects – many of which were done modestly. He was the one who arranged the dancing in Chodesh Adar in 770.
    Rabbi Rapp lives very close to where he fell. He must have walked that route thousands of times.
    And on Yud Beis Tammuz – that is the day he did not make it to his destination. And in such a strange way. Was there ever a time that someone was run over three times by the same car?
    I don’t know what to do. I’ll make a donation. I wish I could give his widow a house. I think they were renting. They need a house. On a quiet street.
    Rabbi Rapp = Modesty, Sincerity, Dedication to the Rebbe, Insightful, Generous with is time, energy and soul… and if he had money I am sure he would have been generous with that also.

    A HOUSE

    THE FAMILY NEEDS A HOUSE. WITH A GOOD KITCHEN. NOT ON A MAJOR STREET.

  • JUST POINTING OUT!!

    if the rolls were reversed and a Jewish driver killed a black man in the heart of the black community, the driver would have to be escorted away by the police for his own safety.

  • manslaughter

    BDE !

    Is that the mamzer standing against the white car with his arms folded?

    Running someone over THREE times?
    It sure looks like he has absolutely no remorse at all
    He doesn’t even look concerned.

  • sherlock

    Running over a person three times in a row is murder. This was not an accident. This was deliberately murder.

  • What?!

    After you hit something you get out and look, you don’t run it over another two times!!

  • duvid

    unlike certain “minority” communities we dont riot when a tragedy occurs, we have no Lemrick Nelsons or Al Shartons.

  • ahavas yisroel al hakol

    there is a Fund Me available to give donations for the family

  • to number 40

    how do you know the driver doesn’t have remorse?
    Accidents happen.

  • We don't need a "Community Meeting"

    The family should press charges. If he’s innocent let him prove it in court.

  • CH RESIDENT

    Why does this have to be about race? This incident had nothing to do with race. There are families that will never be the same. Can we focus our energies and sympathy for them instead of trying to blame an accident on the color of the skin of the driver.

    I am saddened and close to sickened by some of the comments. I was not there, but every news account I have read said it was an accident — a very tragic accident.

    If you are driving and a bunch of people start yelling and screaming at you you likely won’t respond as you would in a normal driving situation.

  • me

    agreed – disgusting comments.

    You trying to be like the losers that have no life and blame everything on skin color and misfortune galore?

    Please give it a break – get some sun.

    Sad story period!

  • Rob

    This crash should be investigated as to whether the driver was distracted. The Right-of-Way city law says a driver must yield to pedestrians. If the driver did not in this case, an investigation must determine why not.

    If anything, the driver should lose the livery license.