Man Fatally Struck By Tesla While Changing Flat Tire

A 52-year-old man died after getting hit by a driver in a Tesla while fixing a flat tire in Queens, New York, police said.

At about midnight Monday, Jean Louis, of Cambria Heights, was working on his tire along the left shoulder of the westbound Long Island Expressway near the College Point Boulevard exit when an oncoming Tesla struck him, the New York Post reported, citing police.

Louis was on his way to pick up his wife from work at a nursing home, according to CBS New York.

Immediately after getting hit by the vehicle, Louis was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Queens, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said that the unnamed driver of the Tesla that hit Louis remained at the scene and is not facing any charges at this time.

Gloria Louis, the victim's daughter, shared that her father was a fun-loving man who had a big heart.

“A loving man who was always the life of the party, always funny,” Gloria told CBS. “He was a sweet man."

Family members said Louis worked as a home health aide for over a decade and began driving for Uber a little before the pandemic began. He is survived by his wife of 25 years and his two daughters -- the youngest of whom is only 9 years old.

A woman named Marcia from Cambria Heights was shocked upon finding out that it was her neighbor who was involved in the accident. Marcia told CBS New York that she had heard the news about the incident but had no idea that it was Louis who died.

“It has to be heartbreaking to hear that. Changing a tire and got killed, that’s really hard. I’m so sorry about that,” Marcia told the outlet.

The tragedy has prompted warnings from experts. Robert Sinclair of AAA said changing a tire roadside should depend on the circumstances. This is because a good number of roadways predate modern transportation engineering and thus do not have a shoulder wide enough to safely use.

“In that situation the best advice is to keep driving if you can, get to the nearest exit, get to the where a shoulder is,” Sinclair said, adding that if a car breaks down in the middle of the road at night, it would be best for the driver to stay inside their vehicle, call the police and wait for help to arrive.