A terrible incident unfolded in Brooklyn on Thursday, claiming the life of a 77-year-old man. Iosif Lontsman tragically lost his life after a disagreement with another driver over a parking spot turned into a devastating event.
Authorities report that Lontsman exited his Subaru Forester, apparently forgetting to shift it out of gear, to approach a 43-year-old woman in a Nissan Altima regarding the parking space at the intersection of Avenue W and Ocean Avenue in Sheepshead Bay. As he stepped out, the Subaru began to roll forward, striking Lontsman before colliding with the Nissan.
The force of the incident left Lontsman pinned between the vehicles, according to a preliminary investigation by the NYPD. Sadly, first responders found him unresponsive and suffering from severe head and body trauma. Despite being rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, he was pronounced dead.
Surveillance footage captured the moment losif Lontsman exited his car to address the other driver about the parking space. This detail, along with information from an NYPD official, has led Lontsman’s grieving son, Mark, to believe a dispute over parking was the catalyst for the tragedy.
“It’s incredibly difficult to come to terms with what we’ve been told,” Mark stated in a recent interview.
Thankfully, no arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
Mark, 50, shared that his father leaves behind a legacy of family devotion. Having cared for his ailing wife “until her final days” eight years prior, Lontsman was described by his son as a selfless and dedicated family man.
“He was always doing stuff for his family and friends, for other people,” Mark recounted.
The Lontsman family immigrated from the former Soviet Union in 1989, seeking a brighter future in the United States.
“It was a difficult life for all of us,” Mark reflected. “I was still a teenager, as was my brother, so my dad and my mom at the time, they worked to build a new life in this country.”
