Driver Turning Left Involved in Fatal E-Bike Crash in Sunset Park
A driver making a left turn was involved in a fatal crash with a 49-year-old e-bike rider at Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street in Brooklyn at 9:10 a.m. on May 22, 2024; reports differ on who struck whom.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
At about 9:10 a.m. on May 22, 2024, a driver turning left onto 53rd Street and a 49-year-old man riding an e-bike south on Fourth Avenue were involved in a fatal collision in Sunset Park. Reports differ on the sequence: amNewYork said the rider collided with a pickup as the driver turned, while the Brooklyn Eagle said the driver struck the rider. The vehicle is described as a pickup by amNewYork, an SUV by the Eagle and a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado by News 12; the official record lists a pickup truck. Reports said the driver remained at the scene.
Reports differ on the collision sequence
AmNewYork reported that the 49-year-old man rode south on Fourth Avenue as a Chevrolet pickup driver coming from the opposite direction turned left onto 53rd Street; it said the rider collided with the pickup. The Brooklyn Eagle reported that a driver turning left from Fourth Avenue struck the southbound rider. The accounts differ on who struck whom.
The official record lists the pickup traveling west and turning left, and the e-bike traveling south. It records one cyclist killed in the crash.
The rider and the driver
Reports identified the rider as a 49-year-old man. Police found him with head and body injuries, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.
AmNewYork reported that the pickup driver was 40 and remained at the scene. News 12 also reported that the driver stayed there.
Reports describe the vehicle differently
The official record identifies a pickup truck and an e-bike. AmNewYork also describes a Chevrolet pickup, while the Brooklyn Eagle calls the vehicle an SUV. News 12 identifies a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado.
Reports place the rider's death at a hospital
AmNewYork reported that the rider was taken to NYU Langone Hospital and could not be saved. The Brooklyn Eagle reported that he was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn; News 12 also reported that he died at the hospital.
The intersection and nearby bike lane drew safety concerns
The crash happened at Fourth Avenue and 53rd Street in Sunset Park. AmNewYork reported that Transportation Alternatives said the protected bike lane disappears at the intersection, creating conflict zones. The group called for completing the protected lane and for a narrower roadway and measures to slow drivers making left turns.