Man killed on moped by unlicensed, drunk driver in Bronx, NYC

A man riding a moped was fatally struck by a reckless driver in the Bronx, NYC.

Early Sunday, around 12:30 am, 57 year old Frank Davila was riding a moped South on Rosedale Avenue when he was struck by 33 year old Stephanie Mendez who was driving a 2005 Grey Volvo Sedan.  At the time of the accident Mendez was driving with a suspended license.  The police checked her blood alcohol which registered 0.074 which is below the legally drunk level. Despite a blood test below the legal level, the police charged her with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and driving with a suspended license. The investigation is not over yet though but so far Mendez has not been charged with criminally negligent homicide or vehicular manslaughter.

Paramedics found Davila unresponsive and unconscious on the sidewalk. They rushed him to the hospital but it was too late and the 59 year old father was pronounced dead.

Frank Davila was a construction worker at a tugboat transportation company. He is leaving behind two children that he was raising with his common-law partner: a 17 year old boy and a 12 year old girl. He had been living in the Bronx for more than 20 years.

So far this year, 42 people died in motorcycle or moped accidents in NYC

2020 has been a bad year for motorists and moped riders.  Davila is the 42nd victim to died in a motorcycle or moped accident in New York City  this year. This is almost twice the number of  motorcycle deaths recorded last year in New York City which was 25.

Dangerous intersection

The intersection where the accident occurred is particularly dangerous: according to StreetBlog, 1 cyclists died 3 cyclists, 5 pedestrians and 31 motorists were injured in 84 crashes since January 2018.

Read more in the NY Daily News

Picture of the location of the fatal moped accident: courtesy of Google Map