By Theodore Parisienne Posted – 9:40PM
Tropical Storm Isaias proved deadly in New York City Tuesday, when strong wind gusts snapped a massive tree at its’ base and brought it crashing down on a van in the Briarwood section of Queens.
60yr old construction worker Mario Siles of Manhattan was sitting inside of his white 2014 Dodge Ram work van parked outside of 143-28 84th Drive when the tree crushed the van. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Mario was working at a nearby construction site and may have been taking a break when tragedy struck.
A team from the New York City Parks Department used chain saws to cut up the huge trunk, moving the pieces with the help of a crane.
Officers from the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad then conducted an Investigation before the body could be examined and removed by the Medical Examiner.
The wrath of Tropical Storm Isaias was very much felt in the boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn and Queens, where numerous downed trees damaged houses and cars alike, snarled traffic with blocked roadways and left hundreds of thousands without electricity.
Mario Siles cause of death will officially be determined by the Office of The Chief Medical Examiner.