A Bridge and Tunnel officer was critically injured on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on Sunday morning after being struck by a motorist, authorities said.
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Officer Thomas Choi, 61, had been removing orange barrels that had blocked traffic on the lower level of the Staten Island-Brooklyn span for overnight work when he was hit.
He was struck at 8 a.m. by a female driver from Bayonne, NJ, officials said.
A 10-year MTA veteran, Choi, who was on the Brooklyn-bound side of the bridge at the time, crashed into the vehicle’s windshield and fell to the ground.
The driver of a Nissan Maxima stopped and has been talking to police. She and her four passengers were not injured.
Choi suffered head injuries and was listed in critical but stable condition at Staten Island University Hospital, officials said.
“The entire Bridges and Tunnels family is saddened by this tragic event,” said Bridges and Tunnels President Jim Ferrara. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Choi, his family and all of his colleagues who work with him daily.”
The bridge’s lower level is completely closed on weekends from midnight to about 8 a.m.
Choi was helping to re-open the bridge when he was struck, officials said. There were electronic message signs and red lights warning motorists of the bridge work, officials said.
Republished with permission of The New York Post
