A Citi Bike rider who was hit and severely injured back in April has died, Streetsblog has learned, bringing the total of cyclists killed in the city this year to 14 — already four more than all of last year.
New Jersey resident and real estate broker Victor Ang was cycling southbound on 11th Avenue near the then-just-opened Hudson Yards complex on April 27 at around 6:40 p.m. when he was struck by a UPS semi-truck, police said. The driver stayed on the scene, and Ang was taken to Bellevue Hospital with bleeding from injuries that were listed as severe, but not believed to be life-threatening, according to the Daily News, which reported on the initial crash.
But Ang, 74, died of his injuries on June 4, his daughter Charlene said.
"He was a clever man, a MacGyver, nothing was insurmountable," his family said in a statement. "He lit up every room he was in, and was known for his good sense of humor, his jokes, and laughter. He showed kindness to everyone around him."
There were no charges filed against the driver at the time. And NYPD spokesman said there were still no charges as of Thursday.
The news of Ang's death comes as city cyclists are reeling from Monday's killing of Robyn Hightman and Thursday night's death of cyclist Ernest Askew in Brownsville, who were the 12th and 13th riders killed this year. Even before learning of Ang's death, Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said she mourned all the victims.
"We're not having a good year, we know that," she said, specifically mentioning Hightman. "We've had too many fatalities this year."
Ang was hit at the same intersection where cyclist Josef Mittlemann was killed in late 2017, meaning there will soon be two ghost bikes at the same location. The Post claimed Mittlemann, a well-known professor and real estate developer, ran a red light, but cited no direct evidence.
The 14 dead cyclists represent a major increase over last year. But other categories are also up. Overall fatalities are up 17 percent so far this year, versus them same period last year, with 97 total deaths. Fifty pedestrians have been killed, up from 46 at the same time last year.
And those numbers don't include the death of pedestrian Paul Chipkin, 74, who was run over on Ralph Avenue in Brooklyn late on Thursday night, police said. Details are sketchy, but cops said Chipkin was standing in the middle of Ralph Avenue south of Sterling Place when the 38-year-old female driver hit him. She remained on the scene and was not charged.
