An 87-year-old grandmother who was sadly crushed to death by her own car had been in the vehicle for 20 minutes praying before the disaster struck.
Joan Behan, a beloved grandmother of 10 and devout Christian, tragically died on Wednesday following the freak accident.
Described as active, healthy, and sharp for her age, Joan was a regular at the gym, often attending multiple times a week.
She had just completed a two-hour workout and was praying inside her blue 2013 Toyota Corolla in the driveway of her Gravesend home on Wednesday, per the New York Post, when she ended up getting run over by her own vehicle.
According to her son, David Behan, tragedy unfolded when Joan left her vehicle without properly securing it.
The car rolled backward, fatally crushing her as she walked behind it. The incident occurred around 3:00PM on West 10th Street, leaving Joan with severe head and torso injuries.
Emergency services rushed her to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, but despite their efforts, Joan could not be saved.
Her son, David, recalled her routine, stating: "Before the accident yesterday, she just came home from a two-hour workout. She stayed in the car in her driveway for about 20 minutes to pray. She always did that."
Reflecting on her life, David shared that his mother had worked as a teacher's aide and was a cherished mother figure to her family, which included four children, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
"She made everybody’s life always very happy — no matter who she spoke to," he said. "She had a happy saying about everything. Everybody loved her."
Joan's daughter, Jennifer DiGrazia, spoke to the New York Daily News, about the devastating circumstances in which her mother died.
"[The detective] said that she, like, slumped over in her own lap," recounted DiGrazia. "I said, 'Maybe she was going to pick something up?' and he goes, 'That’s what I thought, but we never saw her lift up.'"
Detectives suspect Joan may have suffered a medical episode, rendering her unable to secure the vehicle properly in the sloped driveway.
"I knew [she died], I felt it," DiGrazia expressed. "Everyone said, don’t jump to conclusions. I just felt if my mother got dragged under her own car, and she’s 87 — you know. I lost it.
"She was always there for her children, even as an adult," DiGrazia fondly reminisced. "You just always knew that life was going to be OK because, no matter what, you had her. She had your back."
Joan had plans to move to Florida in the fall with her daughter, where they had recently purchased homes across the street from each other, fulfilling a long-held dream of being together in their later years.
"It was the dream, and it was my mother’s dream," DiGrazia shared. "She wanted to live with me and my daughter because she knew she was getting older and her mobility was going. She was [going to] be taken care of by her children and her granddaughter. She couldn’t wait."
Our thoughts are with Joan's loved ones at this time.
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