Two folks died in a collision between a rider on an digital scooter and one other on a motorcycle on the bike path in the course of the morning commute on a New York Metropolis bridge on Thursday.
Francis del Valle, 39, who was working the scooter, and Dmytro Stechenko, 35, who was on a pedal bike, had been heading in reverse instructions on the Queensboro Bridge round 8:20 a.m. after they collided, in accordance with police.
Cyclists journey on the Queensboro Bridge, Could 13, 2020 in New York Metropolis.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Photographs
Each victims had been rushed to New York Presbyterian-Queens, the place they had been pronounced useless.
Del Valle was driving the Blade GT II scooter, in accordance with investigators, which sells for $1,700 and is marketed to go “zero to 53 [miles per hour] in 3.9 seconds.”
The electrical stand-up scooter is unlawful to function on New York Metropolis streets as a result of it could attain speeds of greater than 50 miles per hour, in extra of what the town permits for e-mobility units.
Following the incident, it appeared the NYPD was directing bicyclists to make use of the south outer roadway, in accordance with investigators. That a part of the bridge has been pedestrian-only because the bridge’s lanes had been reallocated in Could 2025.
The north outer roadway was shared by cyclists and pedestrians, however that was changing into too crowded and harmful. Two dozen folks had been injured there between 2021 and 2025.
Rachel Huynh, a good friend of del Valle, told WABC that he left behind a spouse and two kids.
“His spouse is in unhealthy form, particularly with the youngsters. I can not think about. He was a extremely nice husband to her, and so they’ve been going out to holidays, exploring the entire world,” she advised WABC.
Queensboro Bridge over the East River in New York Metropolis.
Adobe Inventory
A spokeswoman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani stated in an announcement that the town is reviewing the crash and reiterated that quick e-scooters are unlawful within the metropolis.
“Each New Yorker deserves to really feel secure, and the Mamdani administration will proceed to work to take away these unlawful units from our streets and convey accountability to micromobility use,” the spokeswoman stated.
Transportation security teams additionally echoed the mayor’s workplace’s warning.
“Our ideas are with their households, associates, and group. Crashes like these are solely preventable. Scooters that journey this shortly don’t have any place in our bike lanes,” Ben Furnas, the chief director of the non-profit Transportation Alternate options, stated in an announcement.
