Awful moment cyclist on an e-bike mows down three-year-old girl

Daily Mail​

7 days ago

Video footage has captured the horrifying moment a three-year-old girl was struck by an e-bike rider in Brooklyn.
The disturbing video, which was posted on social media by Williamsburg365 News, shows the toddler sprinting into the bike lane after stepping out of a nearby vehicle.
She is seen running into the path of an oncoming cyclist at the intersection of Bedford and Park avenues in Williamsburg around 7:40pm on Sunday when she was struck.
A male companion was standing behind her as he watched the horrifying split-second collision.
The cyclist was a 22-year-old man, as reported by the New York Post.
He appeared to be carrying a delivery bag on the back of his e-bike, and remained at the scene following the collision, cooperating with police.
He was traveling southbound on Bedford Avenue, and appeared to have no time to avoid the collision as the child unexpectedly ran into his path.
The dramatic footage shows the impact of the crash knocking the young girl off her feet, as the man who had been walking just steps behind her immediately rushes to her aid.
He scooped her up in his arms and appears to be calling for help as a woman emerged from the double-parked car.
Miraculously, police said the girl was only sideswiped by the bike rather than taking the full brunt of the collision.
The toddler escaped with relatively minor injuries to her lower stomach area, according to the outlet.
She was promptly transported to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
Police confirmed that no arrests were made in connection with the incident.
The never-ending fight for road and sidewalk space has created a situation that is dangerous for both cyclists and pedestrians.
Shocking statistics reveal that total cyclist deaths reached 30 in 2023, with e-bike related deaths accounting for 23 out of 30.
That's a staggering 75 percent of all cycling fatalities across the city.
In New York City, the majority of cyclist accidents occur in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Intersections, particularly those with high traffic and lack of bike infrastructure, are especially dangerous areas.
And since 2011, bicyclists have injured over 2,250 pedestrians in devastating collisions, including at least seven deaths.
The incidents are not slowing as pedestrian injuries caused by cyclists increased by 12 percent through June 2019 compared to the same period the previous year.
In 2023, Sarah Schick, a 37-year-old mother of two children, was cycling on Ninth Street near Second Avenue in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn around 7:20am when a truck struck her in the bike lane, which was unprotected.
The distraught family of the Brooklyn cyclist blamed the poorly designed streets in the area for her death and sued New York City for $100 million.
The tragedy marked the sixth fatality in 18 years along the Ninth Street corridor, sparking protesters and cyclists to stage a 'die-in' near the area where Schick was killed as a growing memorial could be seen overflowing with flowers and photos.
Officials with The Department of Transportation have since announced that the unprotected portion of Ninth Street would be redesigned later this year.
Insane! Another child was knocked off this afternoon on the dangerous Bedford Ave bike lane, which continues putting bike riders and pedestrian lives at risk. pic.twitter.com/wACdioLBT9
— Williamsburg 365 News (@Williamsburg365) May 26, 2025
The mounting safety concerns have prompted citywide action, with Central Park recently completing a major redesign of its loop roads to separate pedestrians from cyclists and e-bike riders.
The project, which reallocated space to create dedicated 10-foot lanes for pedestrians, slow cyclists, and high-speed e-bikes respectively, aims to "avoid conflict" between different park users, Central Park Conservancy president Betsy Smith told the New York Times.
However, critics argue that even these measures may not be enough.
Pamela Manasse, co-founder of the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, who was partially paralyzed after being struck by a moped in 2022, warned that "one can't walk across the park drives without taking their life into their own hands."
'They're lawless,' she told the outlet. 'They don't adhere to regulations. They don't yield to pedestrians. They ride, sometimes, on the pedestrian walkways.'
There 'shouldn't be a cut-through for people to fly on their e-bikes, whether they're Citi Bike riders or deliverers.'
Her organization represents more than 1,200 members, with over 100 reporting injuries from e-bike or scooter collisions, according to the outlet.