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 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-to-date 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-year-old 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.
