A disagreement over a $10 parking spot in a Brooklyn, New York gas station resulted in the death of a 61-year-old man. The man was reportedly punched by a tow truck driver during the disagreement.
The unfortunate event took place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, around 8:45 p.m. at a Shell gas station located on Clarkson Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
The deceased was identified as Carlyle Thomas, a local resident who occasionally parked at the gas station. Reports suggest that on the evening of the incident, Thomas was notified that his van, which he used to drive children to school, was about to be towed. A gas station employee had reportedly called a tow truck when Thomas failed to pay the $10 parking fee immediately.
Upon learning about the towing of his vehicle, Thomas went to the gas station and confronted the tow truck driver, according to his stepdaughter, Andrele Peters. She highlighted the fact that Thomas was familiar with the station’s staff due to his frequent use of their parking lot.
According to a friend’s account, Thomas was in the midst of a heated discussion with the tow truck driver when he was struck with a punch that knocked him to the ground and caused his instant death, even before he could be taken to a nearby hospital.
Thomas was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center where he was officially pronounced dead. The 30-year-old tow truck driver, Kevon Johnson, was arrested at the scene and charged with one count of recklessly causing physical injury.
News of Thomas’s death shocked his nephew, Dominic Graham, and other acquaintances and neighbors. They remembered Thomas as a well-regarded community member with ties extending from the gas station to 93rd Street.
Graham, reflecting on his uncle’s relationship with the gas station staff, expressed disbelief at their actions, especially considering Thomas’s regular assistance and friendly relations with them.
According to his stepdaughters, the gas station charged locals $10 for overnight parking. They noted that Thomas, due to his longstanding relationship with the station, often paid his parking fees after recovering his car.
Alexis Peters, Thomas’s stepdaughter, lamented the tragic outcome of such a trivial dispute and highlighted Thomas’s contributions to the community.
Before his tragic death, Thomas had a conversation with his friend and neighbor, Errol Pottinger, about the importance of enjoying life and not getting overly concerned with minor issues.
Pottinger claimed that the gas station’s administration, with whom Thomas was reportedly on good terms, did not call the tow truck.
Thomas, a former horse jockey who worked at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, New York, is survived by a son, a daughter, and step-children.
