NYC Cyclist Deaths: Man Struck By SUV In Queens Hours After 2 Others Were Killed Across NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A cyclist is in critical condition after being struck by an SUV overnight in Queens.
This came just hours after two other bikers were killed in separate incidents Tuesday.
So far, 17 cyclists have been killed this year. That's compared to 10 in all of last year.
"Seventeen is way too many," cyclist Anderson Santos told CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis. "I've seen bikers swerving between the cars and stuff. They think the car is going to stop, but sometimes the car don't see them right away and they can't stop in time."
Police said the latest crash happened just hours after the victim celebrated his 28th birthday.
He was riding his bike around 1 a.m. near a crosswalk at Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard when he was hit. It's not clear who had the green light, but the SUV driver stayed on the scene.
The victim was rushed to Jamaica Hospital with severe head trauma.
"I'm so sorry about that. You've got to be very careful crossing here, because you have traffic going up and down. So you've got to take your time to cross or else you can get hit," said Dixie Calmes, of Rockaway.
The vehicle has since been towed away, but those who saw it couldn't believe the damage.
"It looks like it hit another car, not a bicyclist, or into a pole or something. Doesn't look like a bicyclist," said Afzal Wali, of Woodhaven.
Two other cyclists were killed Tuesday – one on Staten Island and another in Brooklyn.
In the first incident, a 17-year-old boy was riding with his brother around noon when his bike collided with a tow truck at the intersection of Castleton Avenue and Clove Road in West Brighton. Police said it appears the truck had the green light, and the driver stayed on the scene.
Then in Greenpoint, a 58-year-old man was killed in a crash with a box truck on McGuinness Avenue. That driver also stayed on the scene.
The deaths came on the same day the New York City Council passed a new bill in an attempt to make streets safer.
The legislation allows cyclists to follow pedestrian "walk" signals at certain intersections where pedestrians get a head start to cross before traffic gets the green light. However, cyclists would still be required to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
The bill now heads to Mayor Bill de Blasio for his signature. He's been a huge proponent of keeping the streets safe with his "Vision Zero" initiative.
After the last two deaths, the group Transportation Alternatives called on the mayor to take swift action and install more bike lanes.
Here's a list of the bicycle fatalities so far this year:
- January 1 – Hugo Alexander Sinto Garcia, 26, was killed on Third Avenue near East 28th Street in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
- January 4 – Hector Ayala, 41, was killed on Linden Boulevard near Crescent Street in East New York, Brooklyn.
- January 26 – Susan Moses, 63, was killed at Kings Highway and Van Sicklen Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn.
- February 4 – Joseph Chiam, 72, was killed by a tractor-trailer truck at 8th Avenue and 45th Street in Midtown, Manhattan. The driver took off.
- February 28 – Aurilla Lawrence, 25, was killed at Broadway and Rodney Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
- March 14 – Robert Spencer, 53, was killed at Borden Avenue and Second Street in Long Island City, Queens.
- April 17 – Pedro Tepozteco, 26, was killed on 47th Street near 17th Avenue in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
- April 27 – Victor Ang, 74, was killed on 11th Avenue near West 30th Street in Chelsea, Manhattan.
- May 11 – Kenichi Nakagawa, 22, was killed at Dean Street and Brooklyn Avenue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
- May 12 – Robert Sommer, 29, was killed by a car on Avenue U between Burnett and East 33rd streets in Marine Park, Brooklyn.
- May 15 – Yisroel Schwartz, 16, was killed at 17th Avenue and 53rd Street in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
- June 9 – Mohammed Abdullah, 29, was killed by a car at Avenue D and 105th Street in Canarsie, Brooklyn. The driver was charged with driving while intoxicated with her 4-year-old daughter in the backseat.
- June 24 – Robyn Hightman, 20, was killed by a tractor-trailer truck at West 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue. The driver was cited for equipment violations.
- June 27 – Ernest Askew, 57, was killed by a car at Chester Street and Sutter Avenue in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
- July 1 – Devra Freelander, 28, was killed by a cement truck at Boerum Street and Bushwick Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
- July 23 – Alex Cordero, 17, was killed by tow truck at Castleton Avenue and Clove Road in the West Brighton section of Staten Island.
- July 23 – A 58-year-old man was killed by a box truck at McGuiness Boulevard and Norman Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
