Killed Cyclist Was Riding the Wrong Way: Cops
File photo: Gersh Kuntzman
A cyclist killed on Friday may have been riding the wrong way in a dangerous area.
Police say that Hector Ayala, 41, was fatally struck by the driver of a Dodge van early on Jan. 4 as he rode against traffic on northbound Crescent Street at Linden Boulevard in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn. The driver had been traveling westbound on the fast-moving roadway at around 3:55 a.m. when he hit Ayala, cops said. The driver remained on the scene and was not charged. Ayala was taken to Brookdale Hospital, where he died.
A police spokesman said the Collision Investigation Squad determined that Ayala had been cycling against traffic, though the investigation is ongoing. It is unclear how the determination was made; in such early-morning crashes, the driver is often the only witness.
Cyclists will occasionally ride against traffic in areas where roadways are unsafe. Twenty-one pedestrians and cyclists were injured on the 3/4-mile stretch of Linden Boulevard between Fountain Avenue and Amber Street since January, 2017, city statistics show.
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