An on-duty FDNY pickup truck driver hit and killed a 24-year-old cyclist in Park Slope on Wednesday night — the 22nd cyclist to be killed this year, and the second this month.
Delivery worker Victor Hidalgo was riding east on Sackett Street in the Park Slope section at around 8:15 p.m. when he was fatally struck by the driver of an FDNY truck who was responding to an emergency call of a baby choking, according to the FDNY.
Police say the driver had his sirens on when he hit and killed the cyclist. Sackett Street, where Hidalgo was biking when he was hit, has a painted bike lane, which offers cyclists no physical protection. There is also an active construction site at that corner.
The 44-year-old FDNY driver remained at the scene and called 911. Police arrived and took Hidalgo to a nearby hospital, where he died.
Hidalgo, a native New Yorker, worked for a pharmacy delivery company. He spent most of his adolescence in Guerrero, Mexico, but moved back to New York last year. He is survived by his wife and a 1-year-old son in Guerrero, his aunt, Tomasa Hidalgo, told Streetsblog in Spanish.
Tomasa Hidalgo said she worried about her nephew's work as a deliverista because she knows the job is dangerous.
"The streets are not safe. The drivers don't respect the lives of the cyclists. I never wanted him to do this but he was an adult and I couldn't influence too much his decisions. I wish he had a better life with safer work," Hidalgo said.
Advocates say Hidalgo's death is a reminder that delivery work is among the most dangerous jobs in the city, with more occupational deaths than even construction work.
"Worker's Justice Project once again calls on the city and app delivery companies to do more to ensure the safety and protection of these workers," said Ligia Guallpa, the group's executive director. "If we are to avoid another unbearable loss like this, we must invest in infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and essential worker protections that respect and reflect the value of these workers' lives and their contribution to our city."
This is at least the second cyclist to be killed this month. Last week, Amanda Servedio was hit and killed by a suspected burglar fleeing police in a high-speed chase in Astoria.
There have been at least 22 cyclist deaths through Oct. 30 this year, according to the Department of Transportation. Last year, 30 cyclists were killed on the city's streets, a 24-year high.
In addition, 91 pedestrians have been killed — a dramatic increase from the same period last year:
This story was updated at 2:31 p.m. on Thursday to reflect new information.
