Citi Bike Rider's Death Marks 15 Cyclists Killed In NYC This Year

The intersection where two cyclists have been killed in two years

A Citi Bike rider who was struck by a truck driver in Hudson Yards earlier this year has died from his injuries, authorities confirmed on Friday.

Victor Ang, a 74-year-old New Jersey resident, was riding south on 11th Avenue in April when he was hit by the driver of a UPS freight hauler at West 30th Street, according to police. He suffered severe bodily trauma in the crash, including a "partially severed leg," but was initially believed to be in stable condition. He did not make it out of Bellevue Hospital, and was pronounced dead on June 4th. The driver, who remained on the scene, has not faced charges.

An obituary describes the victim as "a clever man" who "lit up every room he was in, and was known for his good sense of humor, his jokes, and laughter. He showed kindness to everyone around him."

Ang is the second Citi Bike rider to be killed on city streets, and the 15th cyclist fatality this year—compared to 10 in all of 2018. Mayor Bill de Blasio has acknowledged the situation is an "emergency," but has faced criticism for what many say is a lackluster effort to address the problem—a three-week ticketing blitz on drivers that does not seem to be having much of an effect

As Streetsblog noted, Ang was hit at the same intersection where 67-year-old Joseph Mittlemann was killed in 2017—meaning the area will soon be marked by two ghost bikes. In both cases, police initially placed blamed the cyclists for the crashes, without citing any evidence that they were at fault.

A spokesperson for Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, said in a statement: "We're deeply saddened by the loss of this rider and our thoughts are with his loved ones. We believe strongly that cities should be built around people, not cars, and are committed to working with our New York City partners to make streets safe for cyclists and pedestrians."

As the opening of Hudson Yards has brought a surge in pedestrian traffic, the city has yet to add bike lanes or traffic-calming measures to the new $25 billion neighborhood. The local community board backed a plan to bring a protected bike lane and pedestrian islands to 10th Avenue over a year ago, but those plans have not yet moved forward.

A spokesperson for Mayor de Blasio, who is on the campaign trail in Houston and South Carolina this weekend, did not immediately respond to Gothamist's inquiries.

UPDATE: Following publication of this article, a spokesperson for the Mayor's Office provided Gothamist with this statement:

"The mayor is committed to ending the unnecessary loss of life on our streets and accomplishing Vision Zero. As he announced last week, the NYPD is doing a bike safety blitz over the next couple weeks to crack down on dangerous driving and DOT is working on a comprehensive safety plan, which will be announced in the coming weeks."