Earlier today, a cyclist was killed in Brooklyn near the Barclays Center during rush hour. The accident involved at least other two motor vehicles in addition to the bicycle and there may be other injuries. As reported by the New York Times, at least two people were taken to the Methodist Hospital. It remains unclear exactly how the accident occurred. However, the driver of an SUV was taken into custody, but was not charged. There are also reports that the SUV driver may have experienced a seizure and lost control of his vehicle. The cyclist was not carrying identification and, according to the New York Times, the police have not been able to identify the individual, as of yet.
In May a 42-year-old neuroscientist was killed in Harlem when his bike was struck in the rear in a hit-and-run accident. The offending driver was fleeing a traffic stop at the time of his death.
New York City officials have stated that today’s death is the sixth cyclist fatality in New York City this year. In 2014, while pedestrian deaths overall fell to a historic low, the number of bicyclists’ deaths almost doubled, from 12 in 2013 to 20 in 2014.
The area around Barclays Center, where Flatbush Avenue and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn intersect, is in need of a “massive redesign” according to Caroline Samponaro, the deputy director of Transportation Alternatives, which campaigns for safer streets. Such redesign, according to Ms. Samponaro, would include adding bicycle lanes.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan intends to reduce motor vehicle fatalities in New York City. As part of this plan, a law went into effect last August which made it a misdemeanor to fail to yield to a pedestrian or cyclist who has the right of way, when the cyclist or pedestrian is injured or killed.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact the attorneys at the Law Office of Louis Grandelli, P.C.
