A man on an e-bike died Friday in Queens when the driver of a parked Mercedez Benz swung open his car door and sent the two-wheeler into the path of an oncoming Jeep Cherokee, according to NYPD, which has not announced any charges in the incident.
The victim, Azizbek Soliev, 20, "sustained severe head and torso injuries," cops said. Both drivers remained on the scene of the crash at 164 St and Chapin Parkway, which is being investigated by the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad.
Only the Daily News covered the death — with few details and little insight beyond what was in the police report. The tabloid even blamed Soliev for his own demise by describing the victim as "zipping" on his e-bike, without any mention of the speed of the driver who struck and killed him.
Dooring is a common, deadly menace for two-wheelers and other micro-mobility users in New York City. Streetsblog has reported on several dooring victims in recent years, including 66-year-old Kwok Kwan, who died biking on 11th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in early 2022. The taxi driver responsible for the crash lost his driver's license for one year, but did not face any other charges.
Getting doored was one of the worst experiences of my #bikenyc life, and left me with very real PTSD.
— Shabazz Stuart (@ShabazzStuart) July 15, 2023
Not only is it against the law for motorist to open their doors w/o checking, but the city should not build 🚲 “lanes” where dooring is even possible.https://t.co/vHHtzSVfeX
In other news:
- Say hello to another "new normal." (NY Post, NY Times)
- There always a car angle: Gilgo Beach Edition. (NY Post)
- Edward Caban is reportedly the mayor's pick to be the next NYPD commissioner. (NY Post)
- Even Barcelona has bikelash. (h/t Jeff Novich)
- Will the city bureaucracy and anti-homeless scaremongering bring down this beloved Flatbush sidewalk bench? (Daily News)
- NYPD "public safety" drones are here. (amNY, Gothamist)
- Mayor Adams wants to erect a "temporary" 34,000-seat Cricket Stadium in Van Cortlandt Park. (The City)
- Metro-North riders hope to avoid a fare hike. (Mid-Hudson News, News12 Westchester)
- The city's UPS drivers are "ready to go on strike." (Hell Gate)
