A scooter rider was killed — presumably by a driver — in an early morning crash on Monday, police said.
According to cops, Hamdan Almatare, 46, was riding a stand-up electric scooter northbound on Hamilton Place near Borden Avenue in Maspeth at around 11 p.m. when he "fell" off the device "for unknown reasons" and suffered severe chest trauma.
Police later told Streetsblog that cops believe Almatare was, in fact, struck by a car, either before or after his fall, because his wounds were consistent with being hit by a vehicle. An NYPD spokeswoman said the driver did not remain on the crash site. Meanwhile, EMTs tried to revive Almatare at the scene before taking him to Elmhurst Hospital, where he died.
The Daily News, citing witnesses, reported that Almatare was struck by a passing vehicle.
Almatare lived nearby, but no one at his building, including the super, knew him.
The intersection of Hamilton Place and Borden Avenue — which comprises a wide bridge over the Long Island Expressway — is a dangerous place. Since 2020, there have been 17 reported crashes on just that one overpass, injuring two cyclists, one pedestrian and eight motorists.
The neighborhood is part of City Council District 30 and represented by Bob Holden. It is also known as a very dangerous place for pedestrians and cyclists. In 2022, there were 2,032 reported crashes in District 30, or roughly 5.6 per day, injuring 71 cyclists, 123 pedestrians and 783 motorists, or roughly three injuries per day, according to city stats.
It's also worth noting that according to the NYPD, pedestrian injuries were up 18 percent in the 104th Precinct this year versus the same period last year. And injuries to cyclists were up 33 percent. Of the city's 77 police precincts, the 104th Precinct had the 10th highest number of total reported collisions in 2022 and the ninth highest number of collisions with injuries.
If you wish to contact Council Member Holden about road safety, or any other, issues, you can click here.
— with Gersh Kuntzman
