71st Street Mystery: Bombed Out Car Rots On Quiet Bensonhurst Block [Updated]

[Update below]

A burned out car has been languishing on a quiet residential 71st Street block for over a week, but police say little information is available yet about the car’s owner or the cause for the explosion.

We were able to confirm with the FDNY that fire units responded to a car blaze in front of 2113 71st Street, near 21st Avenue, on August 7 at 5am. The fire was extinguished and fire marshals were notified.

A “derelict vehicle” complaint was filed with 311 by a neighbor on August 8, records show, but as of Monday, August 15, the decimated red car is still parked in front of the home and the investigation is still ongoing, according to police and fire officials.

The abandoned vehicle reeks of smoke, the doors have been flung open, and the street is still littered with black ash and glass.

A resident who lives in a neighboring home just shrugged when we asked whose car it was. Authorities say there were no injuries.

Know anything about how this car caught fire? Did it spontaneously combust? Send tips and conspiracy theories to editor@bensonhurstbean.com.

Update [August 18, 10am]: We have been informed that our article caught the attention of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs on Twitter, which looked into the 311 complaints and contacted the NYPD and DSNY to have the car removed.

According to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, both agencies responded immediately. Since there were plates on the vehicle, the NYPD had to investigate. Once the plates were removed, the Sanitation Department took over, and as of Wednesday, August 17, the vehicle was gone.