39-year-old Aleim Perkins of Harlem is dead after a tire swing in Tompkins Square Park hit him in the face. The exact cause of death is unknown, according to police.
DNAinfo reports that Perkins was playing with his niece in the park around 4 PM. The swing hit him in the face, “leaving him unconscious and bleeding from the mouth, officials said.” He lay unconscious and was rushed to Beth Israel Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
While the cause of the senseless tragedy is unknown, the New York Post casts doubt on the company who manufactures the tires, writing:
A spokeswoman for Landscape Structures didn’t have an immediate comment. The company has previously sold unsafe playground equipment, prompting recalls of swings and slides in recent years.
The New York Parks Department has not been able to find any other record of fatalities related to tire swings, reports the New York Times.
Savon Epps, a 12-year-old witness, told the Post, “He crouched to get out of the way, but it was going too fast.”
“It hit him on the left cheek,” said Epps. “He just plopped down.”
(Photo: Wally Gobetz)
