A dispute over a $10 parking spot in Brooklyn, New York ended tragically when a 61-year-old man died after being punched by a tow truck driver.
The incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at a Shell gas station on Clarkson Avenue in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn.
A friend identified the victim as Carlyle Thomas, a resident who occasionally parked in the gas station’s spots. On the evening of the incident, someone alerted Thomas that his car was at risk of being towed after a gas station employee had called for a tow truck when Thomas apparently had not paid the $10 parking fee right away.
Upon learning his vehicle was being towed, Thomas went to investigate, his step-daughter Andrele Peters noted, highlighting the longstanding rapport between him and the station.
A friend recounted Thomas’ last moments, stating, “He’s in the middle of an argument with the tow truck driver when, suddenly, a punch from the driver knocked him down so forcefully that he died on the spot, without even reaching the nearby hospital.”
Thomas was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Kevon Johnson, 30, the tow truck driver, was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with one count of recklessly causing physical injury.
The news stunned Dominic Graham, Thomas’s nephew, along with friends and neighbors. They remembered Thomas as a well-respected figure in the community known for his goodwill and connections from the gas station to 93rd Street.
Reflecting on Thomas’ character, Graham noted his uncle’s surprise at the betrayal from the station’s staff, considering his frequent voluntary assistance and camaraderie with them.
His stepdaughters indicated that the gas station charged locals $10 for overnight parking. Due to his longstanding relationship with the station, they mentioned that Thomas often settled his parking fees after retrieving his car.
Echoing her sister, Alexis Peters emphasized how Thomas contributed to the community and questioned the need for such a fatal outcome over a minor dispute.
Before his untimely death, Thomas talked with his friend and neighbor, Errol Pottinger, about enjoying life and not sweating the small stuff.
According to Pottinger, the gas station’s management, 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, is survived by a son, a daughter, and step-children.