A motorist killed a cyclist near Citi Field Tuesday afternoon. The driver was ticketed for speeding, but true to form, anonymous police sources and the media blamed the victim for his own death.
The crash happened on Roosevelt Avenue near 126th Street, under the elevated 7 train on the perimeter of the stadium, at around 12:48 p.m. According to NYPD and published reports, the driver of a Mercury minivan hit the cyclist from behind.
Photos and video of the scene show that the frame of the victim's bike was snapped into pieces, with the minivan perpendicular to the sidewalk, its windshield shattered. The victim, whose name had not been released by police as of this morning, died at the scene.
The Post and DNAinfo reported that, according to unnamed police sources, the cyclist "cut in front" or "swerved into the path" of the driver. The NYPD spokesperson we spoke to had no such information. The spokesperson said police summonsed the driver for speeding -- a crucial detail that was not reported in the press. So once again, unnamed NYPD personnel selectively leaked information that served to blame the victim, and reporters repeated it without question.
At this point the speeding ticket is the sole charge against the driver. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, NYPD told Streetsblog.
New York City motorists have killed at least eight cyclists this year, two more than the number of bike fatalities at the same time in 2013, according to crash data compiled by Streetsblog. Last Saturday a hit-and-run driver killed cyclist Wayne White in another overtake crash, also in Queens. Yesterday, Xochil Zack Fortune was struck by two motorists in succession in Bushwick, and Gothamist reports that he died from those injuries.
The fatal crash on Roosevelt occurred in the 110th Precinct. To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector Ronald D. Leyson, the commanding officer, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 110th Precinct council meetings happen at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of the month at Flanders Field VFW Post #150, 51-11 108th Street. Call 718-476-9311 for information.
The City Council district where this cyclist was killed is represented by Julissa Ferreras. To encourage Ferreras to take action to improve street safety in her district and citywide, contact her at 212-788-6862, jferreras@council.nyc.gov, or @JulissaFerreras.
