Michael Kosanovich, 21, had been standing between two of the 2002 Lexus IS 300s which were parked, on 6 December, when one of them had been started remotely by its owner, police stated.
The car rolled ahead and he was pinned between the two cars.
Bystanders attempted to push them apart but as they did so, the car rolled forward and struck him again.
Kosanovich was taken to hospital with serious trauma to his torso and legs, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). He died of his injuries the next day on 7 December.
The NYPD stated Kosanovich had been inspecting one of the cars at the time of the accident, aiming to purchase it.
A representative for Toyota Motor North America informed BBC News: “Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family and friends of Michael Kosanovich.
“Although many details are not known at this time, we have reached out to local law enforcement to offer support in the investigation.”
Toyota also said that Lexus “did not offer a factory-installed remote start in the 2002 IS” car model.
This would mean that such a remote ignition system would have required to be retrofitted to work with the 2002 Lexus IS300.
The system’s instruction manual cautions users they should never remotely start the engine if they are not aware “of the circumstances surrounding the vehicle” as it could pose a threat to the lives of anyone in the vehicle’s vicinity.
