BY THE VILLAGE SUN | A Chelsea resident succumbed to his injuries last week after lingering a few days after a bicyclist crashed into him at a busy intersection, police said.
Police said Gavin Lee, 44, of 111 W. 16th St., just east of Sixth Avenue, was struck while walking just blocks away from his home on Thurs., Aug. 11, around 6:30 p.m., at Eighth Avenue and W. 22nd Street.
According to the preliminary police investigation, the cyclist was traveling northbound on Eighth Avenue when he slammed into Lee, who was crossing from west to east in the W. 22nd Street crosswalk. The pedestrian and cyclist were both thrown to the ground by the collision.
The cyclist got back on his bicycle and fled the location northbound on Eighth Avenue, police said.
E.M.S. transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead five days later on Tues., Aug. 16.
The suspect is described as a male, with a medium complexion, around 25 years old, with brown, wavy hair, a medium build and an unknown tattoo on his right forearm. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, tan shorts and wearing a large black bag on his back.
The fatality occurred two blocks south of the Penn South co-op, a naturally occuring retirement community, or NORC, where residents have expressed concern about pedestrian safety and the bike lanes flanking both the complex’s western and eastern sides.
Police ask that anyone with information call the N.Y.P.D.’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers Web site at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on Twitter at @NYPDTips. Tips can result in cash rewards. All tips are strictly confidential.
So, what does “Transportation Alternatives” have to say about this? Sadik-Khan? Bloomberg? De Blasio? They all have blood on their hands.
i said that there should be enforcement of bicyclists, and one woman told me how would it be enforced. i told her that in southern california, they issue tickets for bicyclists who dont wear helments. she said they could never enforce it in ny, but actually, they hire guys who go around streets to write tickets to landlords who have any kind of trash thrown on the floor by pedestrians. so if they can hire people to write tickets to landlords with trash on the sidewalk, then why not hire people to write tickets to bicyclists. i guarantee you if you go to a busy intersection in manhatan, youd be able to write at least 10 tickets in an hour
only in NY do you see bicyclists have no respect for anyone on the road, whether it be cars, or pedestrians. they dont stop for red lights, stop signs, and block crosswalks. they just do whatever they want.
Very sad.
Condolences to the family.
NYC bicyclists are dangerous to pedestrians.
I see near misses daily. Have family and friends who’ve been hit by bicyclists with some serious injuries.
Bicyclists routinely go through red lights, go the wrong way, weave around pedestrians, ignore bike lanes.
I feel sorry for the exploited delivery people — but actually the “regular” bicyclists especially Citi Bike are the worst and most entitled.
While vehicles are inherently more dangerous, most drivers follow the law — whereas bicyclists ignore them.
Bicyclists have wrecked Manhattan for pedestrians.
The level of ignorance and unlawful behaviour of cyclists, scooter and e-bike riders in NYC is abnormal! I am from Germany and have never seen anything like this. If it was only their own lives they’d risk with their stupidity, but it’s very practically often an attempted murder to all of the pedestrians on the street.
I knew Mr. Lee for more than 20 years — and he was always cautious of the many risks in NYC. But a bike killing him?! This is such an unnecessary death of this great, bright, loving young man!
Everyone should at least make sure the police get the perpetrator. This needs to be an example at court.
Rest in peace, Gavin — miss you. You’ll never be forgotten.
Between our mayor and Borough President Mark Levine, we will be at the mercy of bicyclists who will run us down. Fewer cars cannot be the justification of dangerous and unruly men riding at great speeds in the streets and on the sidewalks. There will never be enforcement to keep pedestrians safe. This is not how Mr. Lee should have died in NYC. Our officials should be ashamed, but continue to promote dangerous modes of transportation that do not require oversight or licensing.
Thank you for your coverage and attention to this horrible event. The dangers to pedestrians, seniors, those with disabilities, of bikes running red lights, on the sidewalk, wrong way are often minimized and hits/injuries not reported. The dangers are not just from cars — but from all who disregard safety laws. I was hit by a yellow taxi and in a coma with permanent injuries but I’m also concerned about bikes. I support bicycles and more and better lanes and less car traffic/congestion — but safety above all.
Vision Zero is for all of us.
If pedestrians are not run over on the sidewalk by errant cyclists riding there, we take our lives in our hands crossing streets at intersections. The speed which with so many cyclists travel is simply frightening.
I’m sad to learn Mr. Lee so needlessly lost his life merely by walking in his own neighborhood.