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Cyclist Killed In East Williamsburg Was Artist Mathieu Lefevre, Member Of 3rd Ward
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 21, 2011
Modified Oct 21, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 21, 2011
Modified Oct 21, 2011
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The cyclist killed in Williamsburg just after midnight Wednesday has been identified by the NYPD as Mathieu Lefevre. The 30-year-old artist, who was originally from Alberta, Canada but had been residing in NYC, was killed by a flatbed truck while riding his bike on Morgan Avenue, at the intersection of Meserole Street. Nicolas Mavrikakis, a Canadian art critic, writes, "I am without words. The news of the death of Mathieu Lefevre, 30, a young artist who promised so much, but who was already a great artist, leaves me totally dazed. A work that was already excited and growing has been suddenly amputated. A truck broke it all in one evening."
The truck was found legally parked but unattended a block from the scene, and the NYPD tells us they're still searching for the driver. Lefevre was pronounced dead at the scene, and the circumstances behind the accident remain unclear. We're told investigators have not yet established whether the driver was aware he or she ran over Lefevre, but they believe Lefevre was biking next to the truck when it made a right turn onto Meserole Street. (In cyclist parlance, this is known as a "right hook.") One local resident who says she was at the scene sent us this comment:
I live a few blocks away and happened to come upon the scene minutes after police arrived. There was the crumpled body of the victim on the south side of Meserole, perhaps five yards west of Morgan and the mangled bicycle also on the south side of Meserole roughly 50-60 yards west of Morgan.
These details, along with the fact that the car turned right into the cyclist, make the notion that the driver was potentially unaware of the contact a little difficult to accept. The scene would suggest that the body passed fully underneath the vehicle (from the north corner to the south, while being rolled up the street west) while the bicycle was dragged a good distance up the street by the truck. Furthermore, the phenomenon of the “right hook” you mentioned also indicates that the truck was in the process of overtaking the rider in the turn.
The accident happened two blocks from the art center 3rd Ward. Jessica Tom, the marketing director there, tells us, "He was a member of 3rd Ward, but to our knowledge he was not here the night of the accident." Lefevre's website features an article by critic Fabien Loszach, who writes that "Lefevre’s work plays liberally on language, particularly the language of art, to create its amusing effects. 'I like humour that arises from taking things literally,' says the artist."
Tagged
3rd ward
accidents
cyclist
cyclist killed
mathieu lefevre
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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