Powerlifter dies after sports car overturns on Manhattan’s Henry Hudson Parkway
A powerlifter known as the “Black Tom Cruise” has died nearly two weeks after he lost control of his sports car and overturned on Manhattan’s Henry Hudson Parkway, crashing into two SUVs and a boulder, cops said Thursday.
Otis Perkins, 39, was speeding south on the parkway when he lost control of his Dodge Viper convertible near the Dyckman St. exit ramp in Inwood just before 3 p.m. July 11, cops and friends said.
The muscular motorist clipped a Subaru Crosstrek heading in the same direction then veered onto the shoulder, where he mounted a jersey barrier and struck a protruding boulder, officials said.
The sports car flipped onto its top after hitting the rock, landing back on the parkway where it struck a Chevrolet Equinox before finally skidding to a stop, cops said.
First responders found Perkins inside the overturned car with serious injuries to his head and body.
Medics rushed the victim to Mount Sinai Morningside, where he died Saturday. The 31-year-old man driving the Crosstrek and the 57-year-old man operating the Equinox were not injured, officials said.
The top of the convertible was down, leaving Perkins with serious injuries to his back and right eye, according to barbend.com.
Perkins was expected to survive the crash but died of complications at the hospital, according to an online fundraiser. He lived in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, cops said.
“He had sustained major injuries due to a car accident on 7/11, but due to a high fever and lung complications from pneumonia he couldn’t get enough oxygen to his lungs and his heart gave out,” wrote Lynn Wilson, who organized the GoFundMe page. “Our collective hearts are broken.”
The GoFundMe page for Perkins’ medical care raised $42,000 before his death. Friends said Perkins lived with his elderly mother.
Perkins was well liked in the powerlifting community and was a training partner to Larry “Wheels” Williams, who announced his buddy’s death on his Instagram page.
“The man brought laughs everywhere he went. Funniest man I ever met,” Williams wrote. “I love him and hold him closer to almost anyone I know. It hurts to accept he’s gone.
“No matter what life threw at him he kept a smile and his head held high,” Williams added. “Otis Perkins you will be missed.”
Friend Jen Marie, 25, said Perkins often helped her with her workouts.
“We first me in 2019. He took me to one of his gyms,” Marie said. “He was super knowledgeable about lifting and working out. He helped me with my workouts and supplements. He was a very outgoing person who cared a lot about his friends.
“I am a nurse and all throughout the pandemic he would check in on me asking how I was doing,” Marie said. “He shared his knowledge of working out and just wanted to help others get better and learn more.”
Susy Oluvele, 26, said she missed the chance to get to know him better.
She said she met Perkins three weeks ago at a Nigerian club, and they exchanged information.
“He told me about his workout and everything. It was a cool interaction,” Oluvele said. “It was just crazy when I then saw my friend post something about his passing. How you can just meet someone right before they pass away?”
