Driver Hits and Kills Cyclist on Union Avenue in Williamsburg
A 40-year-old driver traveling north on Union Avenue hit a 46-year-old cyclist near Lynch Street on Sept. 1, 2024, police told reporters; the city record lists one cyclist killed and one motorist injured.
What We Know
The crash happened late Sunday morning at Union Avenue and Lynch Street in Brooklyn. The city record lists one cyclist killed and one motorist injured. Police told reporters that a 40-year-old driver was traveling north in the same direction as a 46-year-old cyclist when the driver hit him, and that the driver then crashed into a parked vehicle. The cyclist was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he died. The Daily News described the driver as operating a van, while the Post described a black Volkswagen SUV; the city vehicle record lists a 2024 Volkswagen SUV and records improper passing or lane use and unsafe speed for that driver. Police reported no immediate arrests, and Council Member Lincoln Restler called the death preventable while urging protected bike lanes.
A northbound driver hit a cyclist riding the same way
The city record places the crash at 11:26 a.m. on Sept. 1, 2024, at Union Avenue and Lynch Street in Brooklyn. It records a 46-year-old male bicyclist killed and one motorist injured.
Police told the Daily News and the Post that a 40-year-old driver was traveling north on Union Avenue in the same direction as the cyclist when the driver hit him. EMS took the cyclist to Kings County Hospital, where he died.
Reports differed on the driver’s vehicle
The Daily News described the driver as operating a van, while the Post described the driver as operating a black Volkswagen SUV. The city vehicle record lists a 2024 Volkswagen SUV traveling north and going straight ahead, along with the cyclist’s bike and several parked vehicles recorded as damaged.
Police told both outlets that after the driver hit the cyclist, the driver continued into a parked vehicle. The Post reported that video obtained by Williamsburg News showed the driver in the black SUV continue into a parked white SUV before both came to a stop.
Union Avenue has a recent record of deaths and injuries
The crash was recorded at Union Avenue and Lynch Street in Brooklyn. CrashCountNYC’s location context for Union Avenue in Brooklyn counts 526 crashes, 300 injuries, 23 serious injuries and 3 deaths since 2022.
Police reported no immediate arrests
Police said the driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition. Both news outlets reported that there were no immediate arrests and that the NYPD investigation was continuing.
Council Member Lincoln Restler, who represents Williamsburg, wrote that the cyclist’s death was tragic and might have been preventable, calling for safer streets and a network of protected bike lanes.