Private Sanitation Driver Fatally Backs Into Motorcycle Rider in Queens

Boro Wide Recycling, whose employee killed a motorcycle rider after driving the wrong way, has racked up 34 camera violations. Photo: WABC7
Boro Wide Recycling, whose employee killed a motorcycle rider after driving the wrong way, has racked up 34 camera violations. Photo: WABC7

One motorcycle rider died and another was injured after a private sanitation truck backed into them as its driver tried to enter a one-way street in Jamaica the wrong way early Tuesday morning.

The driver of the Boro Wide Recycling garbage truck was improperly backing up onto 157th Street from the westbound lane of Liberty Avenue when it struck the motorcycle, which was also traveling westbound on Liberty Avenue at around 1 a.m., police said. 

Cops tried to shift the blame onto the motorcyclist, saying the two-wheeler was driving “at an apparent high rate of speed” before the crash, even though the initial report sent out by police mentioned that the private hauler was backing up — the latest example of New York’s Finest blaming victims of crashes and years of recklessness by private carters.

The collision sent a 30-year-old male and a 23-year-old male flying off the motorcycle; paramedics rushed the victims to Jamaica Hospital, where the 30-year-old died. Police say the 23-year-old victim is in stable condition. Authorities have yet to identify the victims pending family notification.

The unidentified driver of the sanitation truck stayed at the scene, but police did not issue any immediate summonses or make any arrests, saying the investigation is ongoing.

The private carting industry has been in the spotlight over the past year after a spate of fatal collisions and reckless driving. The NYPD vowed to crack down on notoriously rogue carters, and advocates are fighting to reform the industry. 

Boro Wide Recycling said it is cooperating with the investigation.

  • Sassojr

    Sad, and much like what happens to cyclists, the police will do nothing to enforce the law on those who are legitimately dangerous.

    Today there was/is a motorcycle only checkpoint on 34th Street and the West side highway. It’s a nice day, I’m sure there will be others today for the evening rush.

  • JarekFA

    What do they look for at those checkpoints? Are they looking for illegal dirt bikes? I’ve seen them do oversized truck checkpoints there once before.

  • Sassojr

    The official line is it’s a “Safety Checkpoint”. Looking for safety violations, license, paperwork, etc. Fact is they write bogus infractions if you don’t have a camera (in traffic court you’re guilty until proven innocent). They will tow for most “safety infractions”. They would never THINK of towing a car or truck for something as minor as a burned out turn signal, but if you’re a motorcycle, that’s par for the course.

  • motorock

    They never stop the dirt bikers. It’s on video where cops at one of these checkpoints have said they can’t stop the illegal dirt bike gangs- after confronted by a motorcyclist who had been stopped by them a few minutes before a gang of riders followed him and were not stopped. It’s all optics. Cops want to show they are doing something without actually doing anything useful to increase safety or public confidence in them. Then they wonder why everyone hates them. I feel bad for the few good cops that are or there.

  • patrick

    the cops aren’t doing anything about the dirt bike gangs. there’s nothing that can be done as far as i can tell.

  • AMH

    “Cops want to show they are doing something without actually doing anything useful” — NYPD in a nutshell.

  • vnm

    They ask to see your license, registration, annual inspection sticker and proof of insurance. If all that stuff checks out, you can be on your way in a few minutes. If the checkpoint causes a traffic back-up, and you decided to beat the backup by lane-splitting, you’ll probably get ticketed for that.

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