E-Bike Rider Critically Hurt After Being Struck By Garbage Truck In Gowanus
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Another cyclist has been injured after colliding with a garbage truck in Brooklyn.
The accident is highlighting an alarming trend throughout the city.
According to police, the garbage truck was headed southbound on Third Avenue at 10:15 p.m. Sunday and tried to make a left turn on 12th Street in Gowanus. Meanwhile, the bike was headed northbound, trying to cross over 12th street. They collided in the intersection.
The 52-year-old man on the electric bike was rushed to the hospital with head injuries. The driver of the garbage truck waited at the scene for police to arrive.
"When I came down, I just saw the truck and the ambulance. They take away the guy," said Epifanio Saba, who works nearby.
The garbage truck was parked overnight feet from where the crash happened. The owner of the company said the driver is distraught. Police stayed at the scene for hours too.
"It's a mix of factory and a mix of residential, so there's a lot of traffic going in and out. Whether it's cars and or trucks, so it's a very, very dangerous area," said John Lewis Fernandez, who works in Gowanus.
Accidents involving bikes have spiked this year, with nearly twice as many ending in fatalities.
In July, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled a $58 million safety plan that included protected bike lanes, especially in Brooklyn and Queens, and more police enforcement for drivers.
"A lot of the cars don't like cyclists, and a lot of the cyclists do reckless things. So you've got to be careful," said cyclist Alex Knox. Knox says he's especially careful when headed northbound on Third Avenue, where there isn't a bike lane. There is one headed in the opposite direction on the other side of the street.
"Some people don't even look when the light is red. When the light is green, they just cross. That was the first, but it's going to happen again," said Saba.
Police have not yet determined who had the right of way in this particular crash. No charges have been filed.
The cyclist is in critical condition.
It was only the garbage truck driver's second week on the job.
