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Brian Tortora, a native of Yonkers who was living in New York City, was killed on Saturday, June 21, in a wrong-way wreck involving two tractor-trailers on Interstate 87 in Clarkstown, as Daily Voice previously reported.
Tortora was driving a 2024 Subaru WRX north in the southbound lanes around 3 a.m. when he struck two tractor-trailers near Exit 12, according to New York State Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
A former Yonkers resident, Tortora attended Family School 32, Yonkers Middle School, and graduated from Saunders Trade & Technical High School with a focus in carpentry. He went on to earn his Master of Education from St. Thomas Aquinas College before beginning a deeply rewarding career in education, according to his obituary.
He taught at Cross Hill Academy in Yonkers and the Jeffrey M. Rapport School for Career Development in the Bronx, where he was beloved by students and staff alike. He had recently set his sights on becoming an assistant principal.
Outside the classroom, Tortora had a passion for sneakers, road trips, world travel, and sports. His energy, humor, and generosity left a mark on all who met him, his obituary said.
"To know Brian was to love Brian," his obituary reads, adding, "He was the life of every party. His legacy will live on forever."
He is survived by his mother, Michele Cali; his father, Peter Tortora, and Peter’s wife, Lisa; his brother, Anthony, and sister-in-law, Christina; and his sister, Deanna, and brother-in-law, Ralph D'Ambrosio. Tortora also leaves behind his adored nieces Bella, Antonia, and Francesca, as well as a large extended family, countless friends, students, and several beloved family dogs.
Click here to read Tortora's full obituary.
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