A 30-year-old father of three young children from Norwood has died and one woman is in critical condition following a single-vehicle collision on Jerome Avenue in Norwood in the early hours of Sunday morning, Nov. 12.

 

An FDNY spokesperson told Norwood News that the department was alerted to a motor vehicle accident at Bainbridge Avenue and Jerome Avenue at 3.20 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12, with two people trapped inside a vehicle.

The spokesperson added, “EMS pronounced one person deceased at the scene and transported one [the woman] in critical condition to St. Barnabas Hospital.”

 

Several fire, police, and EMS personnel were seen at the location of the accident which took place a few hundred meters north of the entrance to Woodlawn cemetery on Jerome Avenue.

At around 4 a.m., FDNY units were seen appearing to be still trying to extract the deceased victim from the vehicle which it seemed had struck a tree.

 

One firefighter alluded to the fact that the physical external injuries incurred by the male victim were graphic, and took care to prevent members of the public from taking photos.

Prior to receiving the confirmation from FDNY/EMS regarding the fatality, police had also earlier confirmed to Norwood News that the accident occurred around 3.20 a.m. and said it appeared to have been a single-vehicle accident involving a Honda CRV.

 

“Looks like they failed to navigate the roadway, struck a tree,” the police spokesperson said.

“There was one male, one female in the vehicle,” he added. “It looks like the male is maybe deceased as of right now. I’m gonna have to call and find out exactly but it looks like it’s possible that he’s deceased.”

 

The police spokesperson confirmed the woman was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in critical condition.

Asked for any further details regarding the female victim, the spokesperson said she was a 42-year-old woman.

 

Asked who was driving the vehicle, the spokesperson said, “He was the operator. She was the passenger.”

One ambulance was seen leaving the scene just as we arrived. It is unknown if it was transporting the female victim away from the scene at that time or not.

 

Before emergency services arrived, a local taxi driver and others were on the scene and seemingly raised the alert.

Photos taken of the car at that point, even before emergency services arrived and used equipment to extract the body of the male victim from it, showed it in a very mangled state, with large sections of the vehicle apparently missing.

 

On Sunday, NYPD officials said that a preliminary investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that the 30-year-old male driver who was driving a 2022 Honda Odyssey northbound on Jerome Avenue failed to properly navigate the roadway and struck a tree.

They said the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad.

 

The deceased was later identified as Jonathan Ramos-Robles of Dekalb Avenue in Norwood.

While the NYPD investigate criminal aspects of vehicle collisions, NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) reviews the street design at the locations of such crashes.

 

Early on the morning of the crash, Norwood News spoke to one man, one woman who appeared to be on her way to work and about to take the No 4. train at Woodlawn station, and a few store employees/owners in the area but nobody had actually seen the accident take place.

 

One man we spoke to said he heard about it from other people and that he had heard a loud noise but didn’t witness it.

One store employee/owner did not know about the accident, while another said he only heard there was a stabbing in the area close to the Jerome Avenue Men’s Shelter, but hadn’t seen either the reported stabbing nor the accident.

Norwood News is following up with the NYPD for more information on the reported stabbing incident.

 

We will update this story upon receipt of any additional information we receive.

A fundraiser has apparently been set-up by the victim’s family to help with funeral expenses.

 

A post on the page reads, “My name is Shealynn, and I’m the wife of Jonathan’s only older brother, Joel. On behalf of my husband and Jonathan’s family, they’ve asked anyone who knew him to help out if they could. We are deeply heartbroken and still can’t believe this unexpected, horrific tragic car accident.”

The post continued, “Jonathan was only 30 years old, and still had a whole life to live. He left behind his world and his three beautiful children without him. This is a major loss for our family and friends, and we ask that anyone who knew him come together to help with funeral costs and help for whatever help his children may need to navigate such a heavy loss.”

It concluded, “Anything will help, and even if you financially can’t, please repost. Funeral arrangements are to come, and we will post information to anyone interested in showing their respects.”

 

Norwood News has been in contact with a family member of the victim in order to validate that the page is indeed legitimate. This has since been confirmed and can be accessed here.

We were informed by the family member in question, who requested to remain anonymous, that she is a cousin of the victim and his brother, Joel Ramos. “He left behind twin boys and a baby girl, while his wife is in the hospital, still fighting [for her life],” the victim’s cousin said. “The gofund me page was created by Shealyn [Joel’s wife] to cover funeral costs and hope to support my cousins’ children in the process.”

 

The victim’s cousin went on to say that funeral arrangements were still being planned for Jonathan Ramos, who she said, loved music. “We will always remember my cousin as the proud father he was, and hard worker,” she said.

A number of motor vehicle accidents have occurred recently along the same stretch of Jerome Avenue in the early morning hours. More details will follow.