by XANA O'NEILL and TAMER EL-GHOBASHY
A passenger in a speeding car was killed when the driver broke through a chain-link fence and plunged into the murky waters of Newtown Creek in Brooklyn early Monday, cops said.
NYPD officers on patrol saw the black Mercedes convertible barreling north on Appollo St. in Greenpoint at about 3:30 a.m. It smashed through the barrier on the dead-end street and into the deep canal, police said.
"I didn't hear braking, just speed - the racing of an engine," said Greg David, 50, a gas station attendant on the creek's shoreline.
About 5 a.m. divers recovered the body of Derek Winefsky, 27, of Valley Stream, L.I., from the passenger seat.
Police sources said it appeared that the driver made no attempt to stop before busting through the rusty fence along the desolate industrial strip.
Firefighters were able to pluck the flailing driver out of the chilly water moments after the crash. He was taken to Woodhull Hospital in stable condition.
A law enforcement source said the driver, Mike Mahlstadt, 29, of Valley Stream was uncooperative.
It took divers several hours to locate the wreckage because of poor visibility.
"It was a hard operation," Deputy Fire Chief Howard Sickles said. "It's the Newtown Creek. It's a murky area. It was dark."
With Alison Gendar
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