A 35-year-old motorcyclist was critically injured when he crashed his bike and was thrown off the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge in Rockaway Beach on Wednesday evening.
A source familiar with the investigation said the man was not wearing a motorcycle helmet when he crashed and was ejected from the bike, landing on Beach Channel Drive below. An NYPD spokesman could not confirm that the rider was helmetless.
Police from the 100th Precinct arrived on the scene and found the injured rider on a patch of dirt between a guardrail and concrete barriers on an approach to the bridge just west of Beach 92nd Street. EMS responded to the scene and rushed the man to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.
A preliminary investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad determined that the man was riding a 2019 Kawasaki motorcycle traveling northbound on the Cross Bay Bridge, when he failed to navigate a curve, lost control of the bike and crashed into a concrete barrier when he was ejected and fell to the street below.
“We are all very grateful that this individual survived such a traumatic crash, but not everyone might be so lucky,” Council Member Joann Ariola said. “People need to be mindful on the road and should always take proper precautions and wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. It is truly a miracle that this man survived, and I thank God for that.”
The investigation by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad remains ongoing.
