By: Howard M. Riell
Like something out of a cheap horror movie, the discovery of decomposing corpses inside moving vans has cause state health officials to remove the license from a funeral home in Brooklyn that was allegedly responsible.
Andrew T. Cleckley Funeral Services in Flatlands was being investigated, according to Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, who called the firms actions “appalling, disrespectful to the families of the deceased, and completely unacceptable. We understand the burden funeral homes are facing during this unprecedented time. But a crisis is no excuse for the kind of behavior we witnessed.”
Police official had been notified on Wednesday of the terrible smells and viscous liquid emanating from the truck, which was left just outside the funeral home at 2037A Utica Ave.
“Cops found dozens of bodies piled up in the unrefrigerated cargo areas and more lying on the floor inside the business, sources have said,” the New York Post reported. “U-Haul called the macabre use of its trucks “wrongful, egregious and inhumane,” with a company source telling TMZ, “Our trucks absolutely cannot be rented for this reason.”
Criminal charges were not brought, according to information supplied to the Associated Press, but the funeral home was penalized for not controlling the stench.
“Obviously the funeral home shouldn’t have done that,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
Never one to miss an opportunity for publicity, Mayor Bill de Blasio also had a comment. He called the incident “unconscionable” and added, “I have no idea in the world how any funeral home could let this happen.”
Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams said during an interview with the New York Daily News that “While this situation is under investigation, we should not have what we have right now, with trucks lining the streets filled with bodies. It was people who walked by who saw some leakage and detected an odor coming from a truck.”
New York City, of course, has been the unfortunate epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic “and the city’s funeral homes have been overwhelmed,” Reuters reported. “As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 18,000 people have died of COVID-19 in America’s biggest city, according to a Reuters tally. Funeral homes say they are facing weeks-long backlogs to bury or cremate the dead.”
The horrible incident “highlighted a serious and continuing problem: What to do with thousands of dead bodies in New York City, which weeks ago emerged as the center of the pandemic in the U.S.,” reported wsj.com. “As of Wednesday afternoon, officials reported 12,287 confirmed coronavirus deaths in the five boroughs, with another 5,302 fatalities classified as probable deaths from the virus.”
de Blasio promised that New York City will create a group akin to the task force recommended by Adams to aid communication and cooperation between families, funeral homes and members of the clergy.
