Stolen Catholic Charities Meals on Wheels Truck was Left Running

Tags: Currents Catholic Charities, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, Crash, Diocese of Brooklyn, Elderly, NYPD, Queens, NY

By Tim Harfmann

Exclusive video obtained by Currents News shows two suspects hijacking a Meals on Wheels delivery truck Jan. 29.

Police say a third suspect was later picked up for a high-speed joyride.

A Catholic Charities driver, Balroop Pirmal, left the truck running while delivering meals to homebound residents.

“I went up, less than 10 minutes. By the time I came down, the truck was gone,” said Pirmal.

Two hours later, the Meals on Wheels truck was wheels up.

The Ford F-150 t-boned a Kia near 119th Avenue and 192nd Street in St. Albans, damaging two homes. No one was killed.

A 19-year-old girl is under arrest. The two other suspects fled.

As for Pirmal, he had one goal yesterday – finish his route. He used another truck to deliver meals to 40 homebound residents.

“We make sure that all the clients are fed. Some of them have kids, and the kids don’t even come looking for them. We are their eyes and ears.”

Catholic Charities was issued a summons for the running vehicle, and the Meals on Wheels Program Manager Kathleen Dalbey says Pirmal followed protocol.

“We generally leave the trucks running in the winter time because it’s cold. Drivers always carry two sets of keys on them. The trucks are always locked,” she said.

Dalbey says Catholic Charities plans on fighting the summons.

Police are still searching for the two suspects who fled the scene.