Midwood, NY - An apparent drunk driver sideswiped a vehicle, killing 25-year-old Moshe Berkowitz in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.
The victim’s Mercury Sable, headed north on Ocean Avenue and Avenue N, was struck by a southbound Volkswagen Passat just after 11:30 p.m. Monday night.
He was rushed by Flatbush Hatzolah to Maimonides Medical Center, where he was r"l pronounced dead.
The suspect and a woman in the car with him were taken to the same hospital with minor injuries, police said. The driver’s blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of .08, sources said, and he is expected to be charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.
A witness to the aftermath of the crash said the suspect and his passenger reeked of booze.
The witness, who identified himself only as Chad P., said two cars carrying the suspect’s friends pulled up moments after the collision.
“They were talking about racing, but then they started speaking in Russian so I didn’t understand,” Chad P. said. “The people in the other two cars took off after only a minute or two.”
The Levaya WILL TAKE PLACE AT 9:30AM WEDNESDAY MORNING IN YESHIVA OHR YITZCHOK 1214 EAST 15TH STREET.
DAILY NEWS
A beloved Brooklyn yeshiva teacher was killed after a night of bowling when a drunken driver plowed into his car - possibly during a drag race, police sources and a witness said.
Moishe Berkowitz, 25, was driving his red Mercury Sable at about 11:35 p.m. Monday when it was struck by an oncoming Volkswagen that crossed the double yellow line, police said.
Skid marks and debris scattered the road, including shattered glass and pieces from both mangled cars. Berkowitz died a short time later at Maimonides Medical Center.
Rabbi Aaron Groner, one of the senior leaders at the yeshiva, called the victim's mother in Israel with the grim news.
"There aren't any words," Groner said. "It's hard to imagine the pain of that loss."
Sara Berkowitz was flying to New York from her home to attend a Wednesday morning funeral, Groner said.
Berkowitz and some friends were out bowling prior to the fatal crash, the rabbi said. Although Berkowitz was alone in his car, his friends were apparently following him and witnessed the head-on accident.
The DWI suspect and a woman in the car with him were taken to Maimonides with minor injuries, police said. The driver's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit of .08, sources said, and he is expected to be charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated.
A witness to the aftermath of the crash said the suspect and his passenger reeked of booze.
The witness, who identified himself only as Chad P., said two cars carrying the suspect's friends pulled up moments after the collision.
"They were talking about racing, but then they started speaking in Russian so I didn't understand," Chad P. said. "The people in the other two cars took off after only a minute or two."
Groner described Berkowitz as a "tremendous role model and a great friend" who both taught and studied at the yeshiva. His students were stunned by word of the tragedy.
"He was the best teacher I ever had," said Eliyahu Levy, 12. "He made me feel good."
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