MANHATTAN – A cyclist and a pedestrian were killed Friday morning after being struck by a box truck on the Upper East Side, at the corner of East 61st Street and Third Avenue in Lenox Hill. The scene, now taped off by NYPD officers who called in the Collision Investigation Squad to determine exactly what happened.
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A worker at a building nearby who had seen surveillance video showing the horrific crash told Upper East Site that the box truck going westbound on 61st Street jumped up on the curb, struck a fire hydrant— which was partially ripped out of the ground— then slammed into the the cyclist and pedestrian.
The bicycle remained on the scene, laying on the street near a puddle of blood and used rubber gloves left behind by first responders.
FDNY officials say paramedics were called to the scene at 9:21 am and rushed the victims to Weill Cornell Medical Center, but police say both were pronounced dead on arrival.
At least one of the victims, appears to be a delivery worker— known as a deliverista— based on the style of electric bicycle that remained at the scene of the crash.
Third Avenue is shut down between East 60th and 62nd Streets as police investigate how this terrible collision unfolded on Christmas Eve.
So far this year, at least fourteen deliveristas have been killed on the streets of New York City, according to Transportation Alternatives, a street safety advocacy group.
“We are heartbroken and outraged that traffic violence has claimed the lives of two more New Yorkers this holiday season,” Executive Director Danny Harris told Upper East Site in a statement.
“As another set of families are destroyed forever due to these preventable crashes, we need our leaders to fast-track proven safety measures, especially on known and dangerous corridors like Third Avenue.”
The truck involved in this crash has 270 citations for parking violations over the past two years, according to a search of public records, first reported by Streetsblog’s Julianne Cuba.
Less than two weeks ago, 31-year-old Salvador Navarette-Flores— known by loved ones as Chavita— was killed when his moped crashed into an illegally double parked FreshDirect truck at the corner of First Avenue and East 76th Street on December 13th.
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Chavita’s fatal crash is still under investigation by the NYPD.
As for today’s collision, Upper East Site has reached out to Baldor Foods for comment on the crash involving their truck— we are waiting to hear back.
“We have the tools to end deadly traffic violence. We cannot let another eight years go by without taking all the steps needed to reach Vision Zero,” Harris added.
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