97-Year-Old WWII Veteran Passes Away after Being Hit By an SUV That a Jumped Curb In Brooklyn

The family of a World War II veteran who was fatally injured in a car crash on Wednesday is mourning the devastating loss. The incident took place right outside the Apple Bank in Brooklyn.

A 97-year-old man died in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon after an SUV jumped the curb and fatally struck him. The victim, Volf Ferdman, succumbed to his injuries at the NYU Langone Hospital, Brooklyn.

Reports show that Ferdman, a WWII veteran, was on his way to the bank that afternoon when the accident occurred. The vehicle involved is a Cadillac Escalade, driven by a 79-year-old man attempting to pull out of a parking lot.

However, it jumped the curb and slammed into the victim seated on his walker, pushing him into the glass doors of an Apple Bank located on Brighton Beach Avenue. The war veteran ended up pinned between the front bumper of the 2008 Cadillac and the shattered glass door in front of the bank.

First responders transported him to the Brooklyn hospital, where he died from his injuries. Ferdman's granddaughter, Svetlana Statsyuk, recounted the heartbreaking moment the family received the news, saying:

"My mom got the call. It was from the police in the hospital. He was in the hospital. When we came he was in the ER and he never recovered."

Statsyuk described the victim, who turned 97 last month, as a fun-loving person who loved to go outside and talk to people. Ferdman moved to the United States from Ukraine about 30 years ago and has since led an impactful life.

According to the reports, the WWII veteran lost his wife last year, which made the news of his demise more difficult for the family to digest.

The driver did not suffer injuries in the crash and faces no immediate charges.

Although the family found it difficult to comprehend how fast the vehicle was going to have made such a fatal impact, they strived to make sense of it. Statsyuk added that it was not in her place to pass judgments.

An employee at the Apple Bank, Kenya Hamilton, who witnessed the incident, confirmed that the vehicle involved had a handicapped sticker. Recalling the post-accident scene, the employee divulged:

"...And there was an old man, and he had a walker and he was laying by the entrance. He could move and talk. He was talking and saying his leg was hurting."

Hamilton also disclosed that the 79-year-old motorist remained in his vehicle until officers arrived. The driver did not suffer injuries in the crash and faces no immediate charges, as per police reports.

This heartbreaking loss comes just a week after former "Bachelor Nation" star, Ben Higgins, lost his grandfather, a WWII veteran. In an Instagram tribute, the reality star recounted some sweet memories of his late "superhero," who died at 95.

Higgins also shared a record of his last time hanging with his grandfather as they drove around in the older man's Gator utility vehicle. The emotional tribute attracted condolences from fans and several "Bachelor Nation" stars.

The legacy of these war veterans, who fought to defend their countries almost a century ago, would certainly continue to live on, long after their last days on earth.