RED HOOK — The Brooklyn delivery man who was struck by a branch from a tree being cut down by city contractors near Coffey Park on Monday has died, officials said Wednesday.
Jin An Liu, whose age was not immediately known, was cycling on Pioneer Street around 1 p.m. on Nov. 16 when the branch struck him, FDNY officials said.
The Sandy-ravaged tree was being removed by RML Construction, an outside contractor hired by the city for post-Hurricane Sandy work, the Parks Department said.
Liu was critically injured in the incident and was rushed to New York Methodist Hospital.
"Our thoughts are with Mr. Liu’s family at this time. NYC Parks has suspended all current contracts with the outside contractor responsible as we continue to conduct a thorough investigation of this incident," a spokeswoman for the Parks Department said in an email.
Elected officials confirmed Liu's death Wednesday afternoon.
“My heart breaks for this loss. The passing of one of our neighbors at such a young age is tragic and our entire community mourns. All of us should come together to provide Jin An Liu’s family with compassion," Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez said in a statement.
Velázquez also questioned whether the contractor had followed safety protocols that might have prevented Liu's tragic death.
“I also would like to know whether the contractors employed by the City were observing safety standards and whether safety protocols in these situations are adequate and up-to-date. These are important questions I will be pursuing in coming days,” she said.
Assemblyman Félix Ortiz also mourned Liu's death on Twitter.
My thoughts go family of Jin An Liu, victim of Red Hook tree accident. @RedHookStar @redhookhub
— Felix W Ortiz (@Felixwortiz) November 18, 2015
Liu reportedly worked at Ling Gee, a Chinese restaurant at Van Brunt and Pioneer streets in Red Hook, according to the New York Daily News.
A make-shift memorial with candles and notes had been placed in front of the shuttered restaurant. By Wednesday afternoon, the memorial had been removed and the area washed down.
A GoFundMe page was launched to raise funds for Liu's family Wednesday morning. In just eight hours, community members had doubled its fundraising goal of $1,000.
