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Cyclist Killed By Cement Truck On Delancey Street
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 18, 2011
Modified Aug 19, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Aug 18, 2011
Modified Aug 19, 2011
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A cyclist was killed around 5:40 pm this evening on Delancey Street between Chrystie and Bowery after falling underneath the rear wheels of a cement truck. Jose Martinez, who had stopped his own bike at a red light on Chrystie before the victim passed him going westbound on Delancey, said that the cyclist "seemed nervous" and lost control of his bicycle, falling in-between the truck's massive wheels. According to police the victim, a white male in his 30s who was wearing a helmet, faltered on his bike because his chain fell off the sprocket. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
NYPD officers confirmed that because the driver "never saw him," and the cyclist ran the red light, there was "no criminality." The driver of the truck, which bore the markings of ESF Transport Inc., seemed distressed as he was being interviewed by police. Martinez says he spotted the victim on Chrystie street moments earlier having trouble with the bike's chain.
As a construction worker who commutes by bike from his home in Brooklyn, 32-year-old Martinez said he frequently crosses Delancey to get to and from the Manhattan Bridge. Too distraught to tell us how he felt after witnessing the accident, he urged cyclists to not take chances on the route: "When there is a red light here, you really just have to stop."
This latest fatality occurred mere feet from a "ghost bike" memorial to Rasha Shamoon, who was killed after being hit by a SUV at Delancey and Bowery three years ago. Just last year, a cyclist died on Orchard and Delancey after hitting a pothole and being crushed by a bus. According to the Local East Village, nine out of the city's 33 most dangerous intersections for cyclists are located on the Lower East Side, not to mention Essex and Delancey being one of the most treacherous intersections for pedestrians. Tonight's incident marks the fifth cyclist fatality in less than 60 days.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer tweeted shortly after the accident, "No more waiting: DOT must fix this dangerous mess and save lives now." We couldn't agree more.
[UPDATE] Police have identified the victim as 52-year-old Jeffrey Axelrod of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.
Tagged
bike lanes
chrystie street
cycling
cycling fatalities
delancey street
Lower East Side
nypd
safety
traffic accidents
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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