Vigil and Ghost Bike Installation for Amanda Servedio Highlights Dangers of NYPD High-Speed Chases

Tonight, the family of Amanda Servedio, along with members of Bike and Brew, Families for Safe Streets, and Transportation Alternatives, will gather to honor Amanda’s memory with a vigil and ghost bike installation, followed by a memorial ride. Amanda, an avid cyclist and active Bike and Brew member, lost her life when a pickup truck, engaged in a high-speed police chase, collided with her as she rode her bike through Queens. This tragedy is part of a troubling pattern that has turned the 114th Precinct into an epicenter of reckless high-speed chases on residential streets.

In Queens, the 114th Precinct has seen 38 police chases this year alone—a staggering number for a largely residential area. These pursuits are often initiated on quiet neighborhood streets, placing lives like Amanda’s at extreme risk. The lack of regulation and accountability for these chases has created an epidemic of reckless endangerment in Astoria, where police should prioritize public safety, especially on streets heavily used by pedestrians and cyclists.

While the NYPD patrol guide dictates that officers terminate pursuits when the danger to the public outweighs the need for apprehension, these guidelines seem far from effectively enforced. Amanda’s death painfully underscores this issue—officers pursued a suspect with a staggering record of over 80 speed- and red-light violations, highlighting the systemic failures that allowed a known repeat offender to remain on the roads. The tragedy reflects a disregard for policies meant to protect lives, as the NYPD’s patrol guidelines about high-speed pursuits remain removed from public versions of the guide, further obscuring transparency.

The calls for accountability have grown louder. Recent community meetings reveal a disconnect between NYPD leadership’s stated caution and the reality on the ground.

Legal perspectives

From the perspective of our Queens car accident lawyers, Amanda Servedio’s tragic death highlights an unacceptable failure to protect vulnerable road users from preventable dangers. High-speed police chases through densely populated neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Astoria where cyclists and pedestrians frequent, pose immense risk to public safety. As dedicated advocates for victims of police chase accidents, we believe that public safety should never be compromised for the sake of apprehending a suspect. The decision to initiate a high-speed chase should be weighed with extreme caution, especially in residential areas where lives are at stake. Amanda’s case underscores the urgent need for enforceable regulations to curb these chases and hold accountable those who disregard safe pursuit protocols. Our Queens car accident lawyers are here to support victims and families affected by such tragedies and continue to fight for safer streets across New York City.