Friday’s Headlines: Day of Carnage Edition

Just when you started feeling safe from coronavirus…

The NYPD reported the deaths of two cyclists yesterday in the South Bronx: Ivan Morales, who died from his injuries sustained when he was run down by a Lexus driver on Friday at the corner of Willis Avenue and E. 138th Street, as we reported, and a second man who was hit by a truck a few blocks away at Park Avenue and the same street, according to the Daily News (the NYPD did not release that victim’s name).

Neither driver was charged, even though in the second case, an officer told the News, that the driver of the truck “didn’t even see the bicyclist” (which a reasonable person would say is the basic threshold of reckless driving, but then reasonable people apparently go into different professions than investigating crashes for the NYPD).

That brings to six the number of cyclists killed so far this year, which, historically, is pretty typical, despite the tremendous reduction in car traffic during the three-month virus lockdown.

In other news:

• Must-read — When Dermot Shea met Hitler: The New Yorker dissected the fascist roots of the NYPD’s hatred of cyclists.
• Must-read, part II — When Lt. Robert Cattani met his Satan-gripped conscience: The Post had a story about a cop who did the right thing by taking a knee with anti-brutality protesters — only to email his police colleagues later and tell them how bad he felt about the empathetic act.
• State Senator Julia Salazar and Assembly candidate Zohran Mamdani are making some good proposals to help cab drivers, who are almost always screwed over because they are “independent contractors” — but we’re not sure we would roll back the congestion pricing surcharge just yet. (Bklyner)
• Buses remain more popular than the subway (NY Post), which explains why so many advocates are calling for more bus lanes (Streetsblog)
• Gothamist’s Jake Offenhartz, a one-man Pulitzer-minting machine for the past four weeks, had an update on his story about a Bronx man caught up in an unfair NYPD dragnet: He’s been in jail this whole time.
• Never let it be said that Mayor de Blasio didn’t do the least he could do to help the struggling restaurant industry. (amNY, Gothamist)
• So, subway riders will be shamed for not wearing a mask (NY Post), but cops can apparently still do so with impunity (NY Post).
• And, finally, you do know we were kidding about urging people in yesterday’s headlines to tear down the statue in the middle of Columbus Circle, right? (NY Post)