Police say the bicyclist, a 49-year-old man whose identity is not yet known, headed south on an e-bike around 9:10 a. m. m. of May 22. As the bicyclist was crossing 53rd Street, the driver of a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado turned left onto 53rd Street and struck him.
When emergency arrived at the scene, the victim was unconscious and unconscious, according to the NYPD. He was transported to New York University Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead. Police had not yet released the victim’s call as of Thursday afternoon. Pending notification to the family. Alexa Aviles, a councilwoman representing the region, said on social media that the victim could simply be a delivery driver.
The Fourth Avenue motorcycle trail has been a source of discord between cyclists and city officials for years. Last summer, street protection advocacy organization Transportation Alternatives introduced the “Repair 4th Avenue” campaign, urging the city to fix the motorcycle lane and do more to discourage bad driver behavior, such as parking in the motorcycle lane or on sidewalks. Cyclists have also criticized the ministry for failing to install structural paint on the transient motorcycle lanes along Fourth Avenue.
In a statement issued after Wednesday’s crash, TransAlt said protected lanes for motorcycles are running out at intersections, such as the one where the bicyclist died on May 22, and that there are no measures in place to slow drivers around their curves.
Kirstyn, a passionate New Jersey native, is a virtual editor at Brooklyn Paper and a reporter for North Brooklyn from Greenpoint to Gowanus.