Chinese Tree Victim Killed By Negligent Park's Dept. Contractor Laid To Rest

Jing Liu's widow breaks down outside the Wah Wing Sang Funeral home in Chinatown earlier today as she watched her husband's casket being led away. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge.

City-Wide

By Geoffrey Croft

The beloved Chinese food delivery man killed by a negligent Park's Dept. contractor was laid to rest today.


Jing Liu's name hand written in Mandarin Chinese in the window of the hearse. 

His devastated widow broke down as she watched her husband's casket being led away to the hearse outside of the funeral home on Mulberry Street in Chinatown.

The small service was attended by close families and friends. 

Last week Jing Liu, 48, was riding through Coffey Park in Brooklyn making a delivery when a large London Plane tree suddenly came crashing down.

The Park Department contractor, Carlstadt, N.J.- based RML Construction violated basic safety protocols while working in the Redhook Brooklyn park.      Standard safety protocols require maintaining a safe work zone with cones, caution tape and workers on the ground to flag approaching pedestrians, which were not adhered to.  

The company also violated the terms of its contact with the Parks Department by only having two of the four personnel required for tree removals as per the Tree Removal Item Specifications.

The"pruner" from RML Construction speaks with an FDNY Captain at the scene of incident on November 18th.  (Photo: Todd Maisel/NY Daily News)

It is well known that Parks Forestry division contracts tree trimming workers that are not certified arborists.  The two employees were not certified arborists. The Parks Department counters that International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certification is not a requirement for this type of work. 

The Parks Department has suspended all contracts held by RML Construction. The company began working with the Parks Department on tree removals in  2014. 

The tree that killed Mr. was deemed removable by the Parks Department in at least July 2015.  

The City's DPR's Trees and Sidewalk Program budget is a paltry $6 million a year, up from $3 million last year.  

More than a dozen people have been struck by falling trees/limbs this year alone. 

The city has paid out $21.6 million in tree related death and injury cases 

in four recent settlements.

The body of  Jing Liu leaves the funeral home this afternoon in Chinatown. 

Read More:

Brooklyn Tree Victim Dies

A Walk In The Park -  November 18, 2015 - By Geoffrey Croft

Brooklyn Tree Victim Dies

Police load the mangled bike into the truck of a patrol car on Monday night.  (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on images to enlarge.

Brooklyn

By Geoffrey Croft

The beloved Chinese food delivery man struck by a tree on Monday night has died as a result his injuries.

The Parks Department contractor ignored basic safety protocols while pruning the tree NYC Park Advocates has learned.

Jin Liu, 50, was riding through Coffey Park making a delivery when a large London Plane tree suddenly came crashing down.

Standard safety protocols dictate maintaining a safe work zone with cones, caution tape and a worker on the ground to flag approaching pedestrians.

A 360˚ drop zone perimeter needs to be established and protected which is generally 1 1/2 to 2 times the height of the tree. The contractor failed secure the drop zone.

Witnesses including Park workers said the private company,  RML Construction, the contractor hired by the Parks Department had not cordoned off the area when he rode through.

"A big mistake, a big mistake,"a Parks supervisor said at the scene confirming that the area was not taped off.

The job was staffed by only a two-person crew - a pruner and a flagman.

RML was doing tree work damaged by Hurricane Sandy, more than three years after the storm.

It is well known that Parks Forestry division contracts tree trimming workers that are NOT certified arborists.   It is not known at this time whether or not the workers were certified arborists.

An NYPD investigator takes photographs of the crushed bike. The deadly tree is on the right.

The victim was rushed to Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition since the incident. 

The incident happened in the park near the intersection of Pioneer Street and Richards Street. 

Mr. Liu worked at Ling Gee restaurant a block away from the incident.

"It is irresponsible for the agency to have allowed laborers untrained in the practices of arboriculture (or tree care) to fell an overly large street tree across the public right of way," said Dr. Carsten Glaeser, a Queens-based Consulting Arborist and independent urban tree expert.

"Maintaining a high standard of safety during tree care work well known to the most qualified arborists is key to delivering the level of care expected by the public, although not seen here.  That is called due-diligence.  The delivery of a lessor standard can only result in an increase likelihood of harm and injury to either the tree workers or the general public.  Clearly critical public safety measures were viewed as trivial, and now with an unfortunate human consequence."

The pruner (left) and the flagman (right) from RML Construction, a private company contracted by the Parks Department, at the deadly scene on Monday night speaking with NYPD investigator from Highway.