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Brooklyn Woman Killed by Wind-Blown Solar Panel During Nor’easter

The Buildings Department has opened an investigation into the parking-lot carport installation.

Overview

  • Lyudmila Braun, 76, was struck near the Ocean Parkway Q train entrance around 10:30 a.m. Sunday and later died at a hospital, police said.
  • Inspectors said a 41-by-87-inch panel detached from a steel carport above an outdoor parking lot and was carried about 20 feet by the wind.
  • The MTA closed a nearby station entrance and the Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order for the parking area as a safety measure.
  • National Weather Service advisories warned of 20–30 mph winds with gusts up to about 45 mph that can turn unsecured objects into projectiles.
  • Officials say the probe is active with potential enforcement actions pending, and this is the city’s only reported storm-related death; some reports link the installation to Best Energy Power, which authorities have not yet confirmed.