A 76-year-old woman was killed in Coney Island after a powerful nor’easter that struck the East Coast sent a large solar panel flying in her direction.
According to CBS New York, the panel traveled approximately 20 feet away from Ocean Parkway near Brighton Beach Avenue, leaving a hole that remains visible to this day.
A nor’easter is a storm that brings heavy rain and strong winds along the East Coast.
Witnesses to the fatal accident said the woman “couldn’t stand up” after the collision, while another remarked that the incident left him speechless.
Videos obtained by the outlet show the harrowing moment the wind carried the panel from a nearby parking lot and into the path of the woman.
“This is crazy,” Adam Rubenstein, a resident of the neighborhood, told the outlet. “My uncle lives in this building. I live in the next building, and it could have been anybody.”
The victim was identified as Lyudmila Braun. The outlet spoke with her husband on Monday about the tragic incident.
“We just hope that it doesn’t happen to anybody else again. That’s the most important thing. Safety first,” her husband, Mark Braun, stated. “We’re just distraught right now. We’re at a loss for words.”
The network reported that the NYC Department of Buildings vacated the parking lot near the scene and closed the entrance to the city’s Q train following the accident.
The New York Post stated that Lyudmila Braun was taken to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, where she was later pronounced dead.
Since Sunday night, New York and New Jersey were placed under a state of emergency. The Associated Press noted that the areas affected experienced winds ranging up to 60 mph and were affected by up to 5 inches of rain.