Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Carnage

Van Driver Kills Cyclist on Riverside Drive: Cops

The victim was a philanthropist who was cycling up Riverside Drive in Washington Heights early on Sunday.

Geoffrey Radbill and life partner, Jan Kohn, were key backers of a new center at the Bowling Green State University.

Geoffrey Radbill and life partner, Jan Kohn, were key backers of a new center at the Bowling Green State University.

|Courtesy: Bowling Green State University

The driver of a minivan hit and killed a philanthropist who was cycling north up Riverside Drive in Washington Heights on Sunday morning, according to friends and cops.

Cops say the 37-year-old driver of a silver Toyota minivan was driving on the narrow, inclined stretch of Riverside Drive between 158th and 160th streets at around 9 a.m. on Sunday when he struck the 78-year-old biker from behind.

This is the spot on Riverside Drive where cops say a drive killed Geoffrey Radbill.Photo: Google

The roadway is frequently used by cyclists heading to the George Washington Bridge. Most drivers are patient when they are behind a cyclist. Some are not.

The driver remained at the scene and was not charged. The investigation is ongoing, the NYPD said.

Meanwhile, the cyclist, Geoffrey Radbill, was rushed to Harlem Hospital, where he died.

Radbill's grieving partner declined to speak when reached at their Upper West Side apartment this week.

Radbill built a career at a major financial services firm in the city, AXA-Equitable. He became a prolific donor to his alma mater, Bowling Green State University in Ohio. A renovated portion of the university's Mathematical Sciences Building was named after him in 2023.

He was also a major fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Radbill's death is just the latest wreck at the uptown intersection.

City data show there have been 11 reported crashes at that intersection since January 2020, injuring one pedestrian and two cyclists.

There have been 79,188 reported collisions on city streets so far this year, the same records show, injuring 5,188 cyclists and 8,330 pedestrians.

Update: An NYPD spokesperson incorrectly told Streetsblog the crash occurred at 9 p.m. on Sunday. The story has been updated to reflect the actual timing over the crash, at around 9 a.m. on Sunday.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

VIDEO: Reckless Driver Kills Cyclist, Injures Four Others in Harlem Crash That Shows Need For Speed Caps

The 8 p.m. crash comes just a few days after Mayor Mamdani was criticized by the pro-car right for announcing that speed-limit reductions in school zones would be in effect all day, not just during school hours.

March 20, 2026

Mamdani’s Regulatory War on Delivery Apps Under Threat Amid Budget Crunch

Mamdani's budget slashes funding for the agency responsible for enacting his plans to regulate delivery apps.

March 20, 2026

FLIP THE SWITCH: Brooklyn Panel Asks DOT To Take Over Parking Enforcement From NYPD

Remember, the Department of Transportation handed out parking tickets until a government reorganization by Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1996.

March 20, 2026

Fact Check: No, Mamdani Is Not Letting Bike Scofflaws ‘Off the Hook’

For the sake of the ill-informed, we break down the myths and facts surrounding Mamdani's new policy.

March 20, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Nice on Ninth Edition

The city is doing the right thing on Ninth Avenue. Plus other news.

March 20, 2026
See all posts