4
QUEENS WEEKLY, MAY 19, 2019
Bicyclists want answers
on Maspeth crash
BY MARK HALLUM
Queens bicyclists still
seeking answers regarding
a cyclist who was hit by a
truck at a Maspeth street
corner on April 11 as charges
still linger for the operator
of the vehicle.
The NYPD told QNS
as of Tuesday that no arrests
have been made and
the investigation is ongoing.
Moreover, the name
of the 32-year-old victim
will not be released to the
public because the victim
is not deceased; following
the incident, the
cyclist had been taken
to Elmhurst Hospital in
critical condition.
NYPD Motor Vehicle
Collisions, on the city
Open Data website, attributed
the cause of the crash
to the truck “following
too closely” with the cyclist
still only being listed
as injured.
Laura Shepard, who
heads the Transportation
Alternatives Queens
Volunteer Committee,
believes law enforcement
may not be taking enough
Photo provided by Laura Shepard
action in an incident involving
a cyclist.
“NYPD is responsible
for providing accurate
and transparent reporting
about fatalities and
injuries on public streets,”
Shepard said. “It is deeply
concerning that the agency
is failing to provide up-todate
information about the
victim’s condition. When
people are hurt or lives
are lost, the facts should
not be swept under the
rug. The Collision Investigation
Squad determined
that the truck driver was
‘following too closely’ and
yet NYPD has not charged
the driver or issued a
statement explaining why
they have not. The victim
deserves justice and due
process. I hope the 32-yearold
victim survived this
gruesome crash and will
make a full recovery. The
local safe streets and cycling
community cares
and would like to help in
any way possible.”
Councilman Robert
Holden is awaiting more
information from the
108th Precinct but encourage
drivers and bicyclists
alike to be more diligent
with increasingly diverse
forms of transportation on
the roads.
“With more pedestrians
and bicyclists on the
road than ever before in
New York, all must use extra
caution and slow down
to prevent incidents like
this in the future,” Holden
said.
The truck involved in
the wreck was registered
with D&N services, an
operation out of a house
in Astoria.
The incident occurred
at Maurice Avenue and
69th Street about 6:14
a.m. and one witness conveyed
to a source that it
looked as though the cyclist
was under the vehicle
at the time when police
had arrived.
According to cops, the
driver remained at scene
following the incident.
Reach reporter Mark
Hallum by email at mhallum@
schnepsmedia.com or
by phone at (718) 260–4564.
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