Police are reinvestigating a hit-and-run in which an Elmhurst cyclist was struck by a car on the streets of Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Paper first reported that around 5:30 p.m. on May 6, 22-year-old Jason Gan was riding his bike on Vanderbilt Avenue towards Willoughby Avenue when he was side-swiped by Nissan Altima with out-0f-state license plates.
Gan told the Brooklyn Paper that he was running errands and when he swerved to avoid a double-parked car, the driver honked at him. Gan says that driver then sped up and the car’s mirror hit the bike’s handle bar, knocking Gan into the car’s back panel before he hit the ground.
Gan posted video of the incident on his YouTube channel:
Gan suffered minor injuries to his arms and legs as a result. Gan believes that the driver hit him on purpose because the car passed a cyclist that was behind Gan without a problem. The driver sped off after the incident, which Gan says could be because a police car was 50 feet ahead of them.
Reports say that the 88th Precinct had initially closed the case, but are reinvestigating after receiving information about the car’s license plate.
Accidents involving cyclists is an ongoing problem in New York City, particularly in Queens. On the morning of April 11, a cyclist was riding near Maurice Avenue and 69th Street when he was hit by a truck.
The victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition and the driver remained at the scene. Over a month later, however, activists believe that the NYPD could be taking more action in regards to this incident.
In an effort to stop future cyclist fatalities, the DOT adjusted the timing of the light at the intersection on Borden Avenue in Long Island City where 53-year-old Robert Spencer was fatally struck by a car.
