Truck driver Saeed Ahmed in fatal Parkside Avenue bike crash
Truck driver Saeed Ahmed and cyclist Kala Santiago were traveling east on Brooklyn's Parkside Avenue around 7 a.m. on October 12, 2022, when they collided near Parade Place; Santiago, 25, died at the scene.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Truck driver Saeed Ahmed and cyclist Kala Santiago were traveling east on Parkside Avenue near Parade Place on October 12, 2022, when they were involved in a collision. Santiago, 25, died at the scene. Ahmed told Streetsblog he had moved to pass her and said she fell beside his trailer. He speculated that she might have hit a parked car, but police did not establish what led to the collision. Ahmed stayed at the scene, and police made no arrests at the time. Santiago was a mother of two young boys; her sister Victoria remembered her as a "go-getter."
The morning collision
Police said Santiago and the tractor-trailer driver were both traveling east on Parkside Avenue around 7 a.m. on October 12, 2022. Santiago died at the scene.
What the driver said
Ahmed told Streetsblog he moved to pass Santiago and said she fell beside his trailer. He speculated that she had "probably hit" a parked car. Police provided no further explanation of what led to the collision.
Near Prospect Park
The collision occurred near Parkside Avenue and Parade Place, beside Prospect Park. Streetsblog reported that Parkside Avenue was not a designated truck route and that the stretch between Ocean and Coney Island avenues had received a protected bike lane the year before.
Kala Santiago's family and work
Santiago was 25 and the mother of two young boys, ages 1 year and 2 months. Her sister Victoria called her a "go-getter" who was "trying to better herself for her kids." 1010 WINS, citing the Daily News, reported that Santiago worked as a bakery barista and was headed to work.
After Santiago's death
Ahmed remained at the scene, and police reported no arrests on the day of the crash. Victoria Santiago said the family had questions and wanted further investigation. City Councilmember Rita Joseph called for safer streets, while transportation advocates urged the city to build more protected bike lanes.