The chain reaction pile-up began when a Ford pickup traveling on the Brooklyn-bound side rear-ended a Nissan, which caused the Nissan to strike the center median, police said. The pickup then rear-ended Hambas' Volkswagen, causing it to strike a cement barrier and catch fire. The Volkswagen also rear-ended an SUV, causing it to rear-end another SUV, which then struck the rear of a Jeep Liberty, police said.

The wreck happened on a portion of the bridge over land on the Brooklyn side of the East River, near where drivers turn on to exit ramps and surface roads. The fire was a few feet from a spot where throngs of tourists enter the bridge's pedestrian and cycling path.

Agencies