Driver Kills Cyclist in Ditmas Park, NYPD and Media Blame Deceased Victim

3:09 PM EDT on June 22, 2015

Brooklyn: Ocean Ave & Church Ave. U/D; Cyclist struck by a vehicle, pronounced DOA at KCH. @NYPDHighway investigating pic.twitter.com/J2BkLOadEJ
— New York City Alerts (@NYCityAlerts) June 22, 2015

A driver killed a cyclist in Ditmas Park this morning.

The cyclist, a 57-year-old man, was riding eastbound on Church Avenue near Ocean Avenue when he was run over by the driver of a commercial box truck, who was also eastbound on Church, according to NYPD. The crash happened at around 10:25 a.m.

Per usual, initial NYPD accounts focused on what the victim -- who can't speak for himself -- purportedly did to get himself killed, with no word on the driver's actions before the crash. Sergeant Lee Jones told Gothamist the victim "lost control and struck the side of the box truck and fell under the wheels.”

DNAinfo cited unnamed NYPD sources who said the victim “swerved” and “turned into” the truck. “Witnesses said they didn't see any helmet with the cyclist, just a Dallas Cowboys baseball cap,” DNA reported.

The cyclist was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital, NYPD said.

The NYPD public information office had no additional details when we called, but said the crash was still under investigation. Police had not released the victim's identity as of earlier this afternoon. NYPD does not usually divulge the names of drivers who kill people unless charges are filed.

While it's not clear what happened this morning, Church Avenue has no dedicated space for biking, with little room between the parking lane and moving traffic.

Injury crashes in the vicinity of Church Avenue and Ocean Avenue, indicated by the blue dot, in 2015. Image: Vision Zero View — Injury crashes this year in the vicinity of Church Avenue and Ocean Avenue, indicated by the blue dot, as of May. Image: Vision Zero View

New York City motorists have killed at least five cyclists in 2015, according to crash data compiled by Streetsblog.

This fatal crash occurred in the 70th Precinct, in Brooklyn Community Board District 14, and in the City Council district represented by Mathieu Eugene.

Brad Aaron

Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.

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