Driver Kills Cyclist Lauren Davis on Classon Avenue in Clinton Hill [Updated]

1:30 PM EDT on April 15, 2016

A driver struck and killed a cyclist at Classon Avenue at Lexington Avenue. Image” Google Maps — A driver struck and killed a cyclist at Classon Avenue at Lexington Avenue. Image: Google Maps

Update: The victim of this crash was identified as Lauren Davis, according to the Daily News.

A driver killed a cyclist in Clinton Hill this morning.

According to NYPD, the cyclist was riding southbound, against traffic, on Classon Avenue at around 8:35 a.m. when she was hit by the driver of a 2015 Fiat, who was turning left from Classon onto Lexington Avenue. It's not clear whose testimony led police to believe the cyclist was riding the wrong way. Update: An eyewitness says she saw Lauren Davis biking in the direction of traffic, contradicting NYPD's version of events.

From DNAinfo:

Almost immediately, the driver started screaming, "Oh my God!" according to Anthony G., 29, who is in town from Montreal for a psychology conference.
"We heard the woman in the car screaming," Anthony, who did not want to give his full last name, said.
He looked out the corner window of the Airbnb he is staying in to see the cyclist sprawled out on Lexington Avenue, he said.
"I don't know if she had a pulse. I couldn't determine if she was conscious or not," he said.
The driver got out and walked toward the cyclist, but then fainted in the street, the witness added.

The victim, a 34-year-old woman, sustained severe body trauma and was transported to Brooklyn Hospital in critical condition, police said, before she died from her injuries. NYPD had not released her name as of early this afternoon, pending family notification.

The driver was a 41-year-old woman whose name was not released. The driver was not immediately ticketed or charged and the Collision Investigation Squad is still investigating the crash, NYPD said.

The corner of Classon and Lexington is the entrance to a neighborhood Slow Zone.

Due to a high number of crashes on the street, Classon Avenue received a road diet in 2012, when it was reduced from two lanes to one for much of its length. DOT did not install a bike lane, using leftover asphalt to widen parking lanes instead.

The crash occurred in the 88th Precinct, and in the City Council district represented by Laurie Cumbo. We've received unconfirmed reports that NYPD is ticketing cyclists on Flushing Avenue, eight blocks north, in response to this morning’s crash.

We'll post additional information as it becomes available.

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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