Bicyclist sought after pedestrian Gavin Lee dies in Chelsea
A male bicyclist hit 44-year-old Gavin Lee while Lee was crossing with the signal at 8th Avenue and West 22nd Street, then left the scene before Lee died at Bellevue, police said.
What We Know
Gavin Lee, 44, was crossing 8th Avenue at West 22nd Street in Chelsea on Aug. 11, 2022, when police said a male bicyclist hit him. The city crash record says the pedestrian was crossing with the signal and lists failure to yield right of way, with traffic control disregarded recorded for the bicycle entry. Police told reporters both men were thrown to the ground, and the bicyclist got back on the bike and continued north on 8th Avenue. Lee was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he died days later. Police later released images and a description of the bicyclist while seeking information from the public.
What police and the crash record say happened
The city crash record places the crash at 8th Avenue and West 22nd Street in Manhattan at 6:41 p.m. on Aug. 11, 2022. It records one pedestrian killed and no other injuries.
Police told reporters that a male bicyclist hit 44-year-old Gavin Lee as Lee crossed 8th Avenue at West 22nd Street in Chelsea. The New York Daily News reported the crash at about 6:30 p.m.; the New York Post described it as around 7 p.m.
Right of way was central to the record
The official crash record says Lee was crossing with the signal at the intersection. It lists failure to yield right of way as a contributing factor and records traffic control disregarded for the bicycle entry.
The Daily News reported that witnesses told police Lee had stepped into the crosswalk and that police said he had the right of way when the bicyclist hit him.
A fatal crash on a heavily used Manhattan avenue
The crash happened at 8th Avenue and West 22nd Street in Chelsea. Along 8th Avenue in Manhattan, CrashCountNYC recorded 1,242 crashes, 612 injuries, 54 serious injuries and 5 deaths from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Gavin Lee died days after the crash
The New York Post identified the pedestrian as Gavin Lee, 44, of Manhattan. Police said medics took him to Bellevue Hospital, where he died days later.
Police sought the bicyclist after he left
Police told reporters that both Lee and the bicyclist were thrown to the ground. After the crash, the bicyclist got back on the bike and continued north on 8th Avenue before police arrived.
Police released surveillance footage and described the bicyclist as a man in his mid-20s with brown wavy hair, a medium build and a tattoo on his right forearm. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt and tan shorts and carrying a black bag.