FDNY, NYPD: Motorcyclist Died In Accident, Not When We Dropped Car On Him

FDNY and NYPD first responders deny that a mishap during a rescue effort Thursday killed the young man they were trying to save.

Karam Rampersaud, 21, was riding his Kawaskaki Ninja motorcycle to a class at City College Thursday morning when he realized he'd forgotten something at home and went back to retrieve it, his brother Ramon told The New York Post.

When he set out again for class, at about 8:45 a.m., he crashed his bike into a Ford Taurus, which turned in front of him on Loring Ave. at Forbell St. in East New York, Brooklyn.

“Whatever he forgot cost him his life,” his brother Ramon said tearfully.

Rampersaud was wedged under the car and dragged almost 30 feet before the 70-year-old driver stopped, witnesses told The New York Daily News.

Two cell phone videos (see below) obtained by The Post show first responders lifting the car up on a hydraulic jack in order to reach Rampersaud. When the car is elevated four feet off the ground, it slips and falls.

Witness James Selder, 41, said, “Then the car just dropped right back down. Right on him. Everybody in the crowd screamed.”

It's unclear in the videos, however, if the car crushes Rampersaud.

The 21 year-old, who was studying to be a math teacher, was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where he died.

Fire and police sources confirmed that the car fell but said it did not land on Rampersaud. Police say they placed wooden chocks placed under the car frame as it was lifted - a technique known as "cradling" - which protected Rampersaud from the impact.

But even if the first responders were to blame, Rampersaud's grandfather, Anirude Singh, is ready to forgive.

"I'm not going against them," he said of the firefighters to The News. "They save a lot of lives. But one mistake. Lifting a car off a man is not like lifting a cardboard box - a car is heavy."

Warning: graphic video below:

Comments

[The Bald Eagle]

10:58 PM on 09/13/2011

What a horribly biased article! First, from the videos available it appears the deceased was riding a humble Ninja 250, an entry level commuter bike. But instead of the bike he rode, you show a picture of ZX14, a 200 mph open class sport bike with an engine capacity OVER 5 TIMES that of Mr. Rampersaud's bike. How is this fair? What are you trying to imply?

Second, all of the other sources state this accident was caused when a 70 year old driver failed to yield and turned left in front of the oncoming bike. HP somehow twists that around into "he crashed his bike into a Ford Taurus." Seriously? How biased is that? You call yourself a journalist? HP just lost a lot of respect in my eyes.

R.I.P. Mr. Rampersaud, and prayers and condolences to the family.

[peachpage01]

01:07 PM on 09/03/2011

NY Post is up to its usual standards I see. Sensationalizing the facts. The car landed in the same position it had been in at the beginning of the rescue. The tires didn't all of a sudden deflate to land flat and further down on the victim. The NY Post (owned by Murdoch of course) is so desperate for readers it'll inflate any story just to get a hit. I'm sure the rescuers feel bad enough without it being made worse by embellishing the facts.

[Stu Deitcher]

01:03 PM on 09/03/2011

His super powered flashy red Ninja rice burner was, NO DOUBT speeding...have you EVER seen one that wasn't????? It is just a matter of time until a crash slows them down...not only that, but they are obnoxiously noisy.

[prawn259]

10:08 AM on 09/03/2011

So, everyone who believes this guy was going 25 mph, raise your hand. Judging by the damage we've seen, I'd guess more around 70.

[Barbara Solano]

07:46 AM on 09/03/2011

To all the people bashing the firefighters EMS and police:
DO NOT bother calling them if you are ever in a accident,house fire, robbery ,or just have a medical emergency If they are such burdens and you dont think there hero's You should just rely on yourselves and let them take care of the people who Love and appreciate what they do...

Thank You to all my heros the Police and Fire Deparments including EMS

[Al Schrader]

08:14 AM on 09/03/2011

Motorcycles by their very design are difficult to stop. Motorcycles remain upright because of the gyroscopic effect of the two rotating wheels. In panic braking the wheels can rotate at RPMs of less than 3. The result is loss of gyroscopic effect and zero vehicle control.
Motorcycles are fun and fuel efficient, but lots of care and low speeds are suggested...Al-

[prawn259]

09:29 AM on 09/03/2011

Motorcycles by their very design are a pending death sentence.

[prawn259]

09:28 AM on 09/03/2011

Sorry, the word "hero" has been thrown around so haphazardously for the last ten years that it's become meaningless. They aren't heroes, they get paid to do that job and they do it. The bystander that rushes into a burning building to save a baby is a hero.

[krispykrank]

11:39 PM on 09/05/2011

Well the the majority of firefighters are volunteers so they don't get paid anything. Paid firefighters like the FDNY are getting paid to go into burning buildings and pull people out, so its not like its a normal day at the office. As for the guy who runs into that burning building he's a hero if he gets lucky, otherwise he's an idiot and a victim. I agree that the word hero does get thrown around alot, but somebody who risks their life for the lives and property others deserve respect whether there paid or not. You also might want to consider that when that guy who just ran is overcome by heat and smoke, getting him out is going to take manpower away from getting the people out who were already there.

[gposner29]

07:41 AM on 09/03/2011

This is tantamount to attempting to douse a fire with kerosene....Upon further review, the first responders were Moe, Larry and Curley.....

[Edward Wilkes]

07:30 AM on 09/03/2011

Such a promising life gone in a flash...So very sad! My condolences to Karam's Family!

[jndonn]

07:26 AM on 09/03/2011

There were two agencies at the scene - FDNY & NYPD/ESU. NYC rules state that the first agency to arrive at the scene of a auto extrication is in command. In the film it appears that NYPD/ESU members are in charge and are doing the actual lifting of the auto. The FDNY appears to be in charge of life safety - gathering the medical equipment etc.

[butchbuss00]

06:37 AM on 09/03/2011

SO SO VERY SAD MY PRAYERS ARE WITH HIS FAMILY

[trucker1000]

03:54 AM on 09/03/2011

again poor reporting you can see in the video the car is lifted like 8'' or so NOT 4 FEET

[prawn259]

09:36 AM on 09/03/2011

Actually, the only thing you can see is that it wasn't four feet, but you can tell it's more than 8 inches. My question would be, why would someone think they'd lift it four feet in the air before moving him out from underneath?

[tccat4]

03:34 AM on 09/03/2011

OOP'S

[californiasun916]

02:10 AM on 09/03/2011

If more people had the sense of the gradfather, this world would be a lot more peaceful!

[Pieulle]

01:37 AM on 09/03/2011

Oh man... what's worst than getting into a motorcycle accident... Getting a car dropped on you right after you get into a motorcycle accident...

Now that's a bad day at the office...

[Mercgal]

07:19 AM on 09/03/2011

I used to have a Hayabusa...HUGE bike, and I simply cannot comprehend how people do not SEE THEM!! Ive had people turn in front of me, cut me off, change lanes in front of me, some idiot with cardboard in his pickup bed that flew out and came cartwheeling across the highway at me....you name it. I *love* motorcycles and riding, but it is just too damn dangerous now. There should be a "Bike Only" lane on all roads, then I would go back to it, otherwise...Nope.

[keep it solid]

08:33 AM on 09/03/2011

I reached a point where I believe (not counting the blind spots) that some of these drivers do see but don't care because a bike doesn't pose much of a danger to them.
Look at it this way, if you were driving an 18-wheeler or basicaly a larger vehicle than the other driver, I doubt that you would see as many car drivers pulling these stunts.

[prawn259]

09:38 AM on 09/03/2011

People see them all the time, it's just that the clown riding it is quite often going 160 miles an hour and the person in the car assumed they were driving normally. This guy was running pretty late... how fast do you think he was going in order to make it to school after returning home?

[gposner29]

07:43 AM on 09/03/2011

You think that's rough? Try marriage with kids.

[jeff takacs]

11:21 PM on 09/02/2011

its ok boys and girls as long as your union dues are paid we will go along with your story

[wiseone816]

10:42 PM on 09/02/2011

It is unfortunate they droped the car but if the old lady had been paying attention this would be a moot point. She turned in front of the motorcycle.

[gposner29]

07:44 AM on 09/03/2011

Women are the root cause of endless mayhem, violence, death and destruction, yet we judge them by a different standard.

[onlyaquarterdelusional]

10:51 AM on 09/03/2011

"Women are the root cause of endless mayhem, violence, death and destructio­n"...that's a bad joke, right? When ever has a women started a war for personal profit? We men have been running things since the beginning of recorded time and how much mayhem, violence, death and destruction has been the result of ego, greed and stupidity.
"We judge them by a different standard"...Who created the standard? The Men in charge!

[dethburger]

12:58 PM on 09/03/2011

Statistically speaking women are much better drivers than men.

[prawn259]

09:41 AM on 09/03/2011

Or perhaps if the guy on the motorcycle wasn't speeding in the first place...

[keep it solid]

02:56 PM on 09/03/2011

and you know this how? you were there? you clocked him?