Another Cyclist Killed — Most Ever in Vision Zero Era
Another cyclist has been killed by a truck driver, police said on Thursday.
According to an initial statement from police, Emanuel Patterson, 56, was cycling westbound on Clarkson Avenue in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn at around 10 a.m. on Wednesday when the driver of a box truck, also traveling westbound on Clarkson struck him as the trucker turned right onto Rogers Avenue, a notorious intersection.
A police spokesperson later told Streetsblog that both the bicyclist and the truck driver were stopped at a red light. When the light turned green, the 26-year-old truck driver turned into the bicyclist, knocking him to the ground and then running over him with his rear tires, causing “severe trauma.” Patterson was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he died. The truck driver remained at the scene and was not initially charged.
Police could not immediately say if the truck driver properly signaled or whether he will be charged with the death.
Rita Joseph, the local City Council member, responded to the crash on social media on Thursday:
Patterson is the 26th cyclist to die on New York City streets this year, through Sept. 20, at least, according to the most recent numbers provided last month from the Department of Transportation:
The 71st Precinct is fairly dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, though it is not an outlier. According to city stats, there have been 829 reported crashes so far this year in the small, narrow precinct, or roughly three per day. But those crashes have injured 48 cyclists and 86 pedestrians.
There have been 13 reported crashes on just two blocks of Clarkson Avenue on either side of Rogers Avenue this year, according to city stats.
Transportation Alternatives, Open Plans and other advocacy groups will rally for more safety improvements on Oct. 11.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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