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A woman was killed Tuesday when her Range Rover rear-ended a tractor-trailer on a Bronx highway and she insisted on waiting for cops to respond to the minor fender-bender — only to have her vehicle slammed from behind by another truck, cops and police sources said.

The tragic crash occurred when Shelly Vilsaint, 49, of Bayonne, NJ, accidentally rear-ended her 2019 black SUV into the back of the tractor-trailer, which had been contracted to carry US mail, as both vehicles headed south on the Cross Bronx Expressway underneath University Avenue around 12:30 a.m., police and sources said.

“They get out, and she wants cops to respond,” a police source told The Post. “There’s really no damage to the vehicle. She wants police to respond.


  Shelly Vilsaint was killed in a fiery crash involving two tractor-trailers on the Cross Bronx Expressway early Tuesday. Robert Mecea Shelly Vilsaint was killed in a fiery crash involving two tractor-trailers on the Cross Bronx Expressway early Tuesday. Robert Mecea

“They’re [in their vehicles] in the middle lane waiting for cops, and another tractor-trailer comes up and rear-ends her car,” the source said. “The poor lady loses her life over this.”

The impact propelled the SUV partially into the back of the first truck, causing the Range Rover to flip over, cops said. 

All three vehicles became engulfed in flames. 


  Heavy fire and smoke billowed from the tractor-trailers. Citizen Heavy fire and smoke billowed from the tractor-trailers. Citizen

First responders found Vilsaint still inside her vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. 

The 43-year-old male driver of the 2013 mail tractor-trailer and the 53-year-old man operating the 2015 other truck remained at the scene.

The truck drivers were uninjured, authorities said. No arrests have been made. 


  Members of the NYPD Highway Patrol and FDNY firefighters at the scene. Robert Mecea Members of the NYPD Highway Patrol and FDNY firefighters at the scene. Robert Mecea

  The Range Rover partially entered the second tractor-trailer on impact. Both vehicles were burned out. Robert Mecea The Range Rover partially entered the second tractor-trailer on impact. Both vehicles were burned out. Robert Mecea

Video posted to Citizen shows heavy smoke and flames billowing from one of the tractor-trailers. 

Photos show one of the trucks completely burned out, reduced to a mere frame. 

Other videos show the roadway blocked off as multiple FDNY vehicles responded.

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