Citi Bike Rider Expected To Lose Leg Following Crash In Hudson Yards

A Citi Bike rider will likely lose his leg following a crash involving a UPS driver in Hudson Yards this weekend.

According to police, the 74-year-old cyclist was traveling southbound on 11th Avenue at around 7 p.m. on Saturday when he was struck by a driver at 30th Street. The victim suffered severe bodily trauma in the crash, including a "partially severed leg," and was rushed to a hospital in serious but stable condition, a police spokesperson said.

The driver remained on the scene and was not charged. Updates on the cyclist's condition were not immediately available.

In the aftermath of the crash, the NYPD has told multiple outlets that the 74-year-old cyclist "collided with the truck"—suggesting that an investigation had cleared the driver of any wrongdoing. The NYPD spokesperson repeated that language to Gothamist on Monday, before eventually noting that the actual police report makes no mention of the nature of the collision.

A preliminary investigation determined only that both the driver and the cyclist were moving southbound at the time of the crash, the spokesperson said. He added that the file remains open, and that investigators are still seeking security camera footage of the incident.

Following the first-ever fatal Citi Bike crash two years ago—in which cyclist Dan Hanegby was killed just a few blocks away from this crash and in the same police precinct—the NYPD told reporters that Hanegby had "swerved" into the path of a charter bus. Security camera footage obtained by Gothamist later proved that account to be false.

In a statement released on Monday, a spokesperson for Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, said: "Safety is our top priority and we're deeply concerned by this incident. Citi Bike riders deserve safe streets."

Street safety advocates, meanwhile, have noted that the crash occurred within the bounds of Hudson Yards. While the new $25 billion neighborhood has seen a surge in pedestrian traffic, the city has not added bike lanes or traffic-calming measures in the area.

However, over a year ago, the local community board backed a plan that would bring a protected bike lane and pedestrian islands to 10th Avenue. Those updates have not yet moved forward. A spokesperson for the DOT did not immediately respond to Gothamist's inquiries about the status of the project.