Tragic Bronx Zoo Accident Kills 4 Adults, 3 Children

Van plunged over Bronx River Parkway

A tragic incident on the Bronx River Parkway claimed the lives of 4 adults and 3 children.

The van, which was filled with three generations of a family descending from the Dominican Republic, plunged off the parkway 50 feet into a remote area of the Bronx Zoo. The family lived in the Bronx.

"Sometimes you come upon events that are horrific and this is one of them," FDNY deputy Chief Ronald Werner said shortly after the crash.

Authorities were trying to determine what caused Sunday's accident that killed Jacob Nunez, 85, and Ana Julia Martinez, 81, both from the Dominican Republic, their daughters, Maria Gonzalez, 45, and Maria Nunez, 39, and three grandchildren. Police say Gonzalez was driving. The children were identified as Jocelyn Gonzalez, 10, the daughter of the driver, Niely Rosario, 7, and Marly Rosario, 3, both daughters of Nunez.

The crash came 10 days after the family celebrated the first communion of Jocelyn Gonzalez. Her grandparents, who were in the car, came from the Dominican Republic for the big event.

"They were a good, wholesome family," a Bronx neighbor, Felicia Lee said.

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"The mother always kept an eye on her children. They were typical little girls. They were gorgeous. They were so pretty," Lee said.

The car was reportedly going at a high speed when it hit a curb and caused the vehicle to go airborne. The cause of the accident has yet to be determined.

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