Man killed by remote control helicopter in New York park

By The Associated Press

11 years ago

Investigators stand near a remote-controlled toy helicopter, center that apparently struck and killed a 19-year-old man, top left, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013, at Calvert Vaux Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York. It wasnt immediately clear how the accident occurred and police didn’t immediately say if the man was operating the remote control helicopter he was struck by. (AP Photo/WABC-TV)

NEW YORK — A teenager operating a remote control helicopter in a New York City park has been struck in the head by it and killed.

Police say 19-year-old Roman Pirozek Jr. died Thursday afternoon near a parkway in Brooklyn. They say he suffered a severe head injury.

Enthusiasts are allowed to operate model aircraft in designated parts of Calvert Vaux Park, which features a playground, basketball courts and baseball diamonds.

Pirozek’s father is the vice president of the Seaview Rotary Wings Helicopter Club, which organizes flights in the park. He hasn’t responded to requests for comment.

A spokesman for the Muncie, Ind.-based Academy of Model Aeronautics says he believes Pirozek’s death is only the second death caused by a remote control helicopter in the United States.