A driver turning right fatally injures Brooklyn cyclist Adam Uster.
A Lifelong Bicyclist
A driver turning right hit cyclist Adam Uster, 39, as he rode south in a designated bike lane at Franklin Avenue and Lexington Avenue in Brooklyn; the May 1, 2023, crash was recorded at 11:32 a.m.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police accounts reported by Patch and Gothamist say a driver turning right hit Adam Uster as he rode south on Franklin Avenue in a designated bike lane. The city record places the crash at 11:32 a.m. on May 1, 2023, and lists failure to yield right-of-way as a contributing factor for the dump-vehicle driver. The record classifies the truck as a dump vehicle, while Patch and Gothamist describe a flatbed; Gothamist calls it a 2021 Isuzu. Uster, 39, was a Crown Heights resident, father of two and cycling advocate. Family, friends and street-safety advocates later gathered at the intersection to remember him and call for safer streets.
Police accounts describe a right turn.
Police accounts reported by Patch and Gothamist say Uster was riding south on Franklin Avenue in a designated bike lane when a driver turning right at the intersection hit him. The official record lists the dump vehicle traveling south and turning right, and the bicycle traveling south and going straight.
The official record counts one cyclist killed and no injuries. Patch reported that Uster was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead. Gothamist also reported that he was taken to a hospital; Bicycling identified it as New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and reported that he did not survive surgery.
The reports use different truck descriptions.
The official record classifies the truck as a dump vehicle and lists its make as ISU-TRUCK/BUS and year as 2021. Patch and Gothamist describe a flatbed truck; Gothamist calls it a 2021 Isuzu. The official record also lists a bicycle involved in the crash.
Friends remembered Uster for generosity and craft.
Uster, 39, was a Crown Heights resident and father of two daughters. Gothamist reported that he grew up on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., where he used a bike to get around. His wife told Patch that he later became a bike messenger in Washington and a bike caddy in New York.
Friends recalled Uster as a generous person and a precise craftsman. His friend Isaac Zal told Patch that Uster was part of the team that brought a new facade to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Coworker Courtney Byron remembered Uster trying to cook food for him and said Uster's daughters showed confidence in their father's support.
The driver remained at the scene as police investigated.
Patch reported on May 3 that the driver stayed at the scene, was not arrested and that NYPD was continuing its investigation.
Family, friends and street-safety advocates gathered at the intersection for a memorial and ghost-bike installation. Gothamist described a Wednesday-night gathering; Patch described Uster being honored Thursday. Uster and his wife were members of Transportation Alternatives, which helped plan the vigil. Those gathered called for safer street infrastructure.
Where
FRANKLIN AVENUE and LEXINGTON AVENUE