By:Elizabeth Sagarin
Police think cabbie died before car hit Island Park restaurant
Police suspect the death of a Long Beach cab driver whose car crashed into an Island Park restaurant early Monday morning resulted from a heart attack.
Vincent Christopher, 53, of Malone Avenue, was southbound on Austin Boulevard at about 2:25 a.m. when the 1993 Ford Crown Victoria he was driving crossed three lanes of traffic and smashed into the front window of Pete's Pitaria, according to Det. John McGee of the Fourth Precinct.
Christopher was taken by ambulance to Long Beach Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m., police reported. No passenger was reported to be in the cab at the time of the crash and no other injuries were reported.
"The crash didn't appear severe enough to cause death," McGee said. However, he said, the exact cause of death was still being investigated by the Nassau County medical examiner.
Leo Kyrogloi, the owner of Pete's Pitaria, said he was just leaving his restaurant when the car came toward the building. "It only missed me by two feet," he said.
The out-of-control car caused enough damage to the front of the building that Kyrogloi decided to close the restaurant for at least three days.
Rick Carls, an owner/operator in the Long Beach City Taxi company, said Christopher probably was on his way home after working his usual night shift. According to Carls, Christopher worked for less than a year as one of the 26 cab drivers who own and operate vehicles for the company.
He described Christopher as a "little overweight," but said he was devastated by news of his death.
Christopher, who lived with his mother in Long Beach, never married and had no children, according to Carls. His family could not be reached for comment.
