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Cyclist Killed In East Harlem After Crash Involving Truck Driver, Illegally Parked Car
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 11, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Dec 11, 2020
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The aftermath of a fatal crash in East Harlem on Friday
Freedom News TV
A cyclist was killed while riding in East Harlem on Friday morning, police said, following a crash that appeared to involve a box truck driver and an illegally parked car.
The fatal incident happened at the intersection of 118th Street and 1st Avenue at around 8:30 a.m., according to an NYPD spokesperson. Emergency personnel discovered the cyclist lying in the street unconscious and rushed him to Harlem Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A spokesperson for the NYPD claimed that the cyclist was struck by the driver of a box truck while riding against traffic on 1st Avenue. Photos from the scene, meanwhile, show the victim's black bike wedged beneath the tire of a red Nissan, facing the same direction as traffic.
A manager for the Bronx trucking company, Paul Rodriguez, told Gothamist that police had basic details of the crash wrong.
"The truck didn't hit the cyclist," Rodriguez said. "The cyclist was, from what I gather, coming up 1st Avenue. There was an illegally parked car and the truck, and somehow he got wedged in there. We really don't know how it happened."
The NYPD's history of providing false or misleading information about incidents involving cyclists is well-documented. Asked for clarification, and whether the illegally parked vehicle was ticketed, Sergeant Edward Riley, a police spokesperson, said the investigation was active and ongoing.
The box truck driver received a sobriety test at the scene, but was not charged, police said. Records show the box truck has racked up 159 violations.
The death marks the 25th cyclist fatality of 2020 — the second highest total in a year since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office, eclipsed only by 2019's record-breaking death toll. Total traffic deaths are also at their highest level in six years.
The victim's name has not yet been released.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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