Man killed in truck hit and run bicycle accident in the Bronx, NYC

A cyclist died after he was hit by a truck that never stopped. The accident occurred at the intersection of Webster Ave and the ramp of the Cross Bronx Expressway in the Tremont section of the Bronx.  The bicyclist was riding to the right side of  a white box truck when the truck made a right turn to get on the expressway ramp.  The truck hit the cyclist but never stopped. He just continued on his way onto the ramp and headed south toward I-95 New Jersey.  According to witnesses the cyclist who was in his twenties was knocked off his bicycle. He was rushed to the hospital but he couldn’t be saved. He died there from his injuries.

Sparse and dangerous unprotected bike lanes offer little protection to Bronx Bicyclists

Too little is being done in the Bronx  to prevent bicycle accidents. Webster Avenue was redesigned in 2012 to implement “Select Bus Service” but  bike lanes implementation were not part of this re-design.

One block away, Park Avenue has a dedicated bike lane that goes all the way North however it is not the case for the southbound side. The bike lane abruptly stops at East 173rd Street. The only other option to bike South in the Area is the Grand Concourse bike lane. This bike lane is unprotected and dangerous. Vehicles, especially trucks are constantly parking on it, making it very unsafe for cyclists who have to get in and out in the traffic. A recent aerial picture (see left) from the Grand Concourse in Tremont had a school bus, three trucks and a few cars parked on the bike lane between 179th street and Tremont Ave.

Vision Zero hasn’t done much in the Bronx and bicyclists as well as pedestrians are still at high risk of dying or being injured in auto accidents.  A few hours before, also in the Bronx, an 8 year old boy was seriously injured in front of his school.

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