A 49-year-old man was killed after he was mowed down by an e-bike rider zipping down a Brooklyn street, police said Saturday.
Victim Luis Cruz was crossing Franklin St. near India St. in Greenpoint at about 7:40 p.m. Friday when a 26-year-old man on an e-bike rammed into him, cops said.
Cruz was thrown to the ground and suffered a severe head injury. EMS rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he died a short time later. He lived in Brooklyn about a mile from where he was hit, police said.
The e-bike rider remained at the scene. No criminal charges were immediately filed.
It was not immediately clear how fast the e-bike rider was going when he rammed into Cruz, cops said.
As of Thursday, two people have been killed in e-bike crashes — two fewer than this time last year, cops said.
More than three times as many people died while riding e-bikes in New York City in 2023 than died on traditional, pedal-powered bicycles, according to city data, with 23 people killed on e-bikes and seven on traditional cycles.
In most of these cases, the victim was riding the e-bike during a single-vehicle crash. It’s rare for a pedestrian to be killed by a passing e-bike, officials said.
In 2021, actress Lisa Banes, a Broadway performer best known for her roles in the hit movies “Cocktail” and “Gone Girl,” died after a scooter mowed her down as she crossed with the light at Amsterdam Ave. and W. 64th St. near Lincoln Center.
Responding to the high number of fatal crashes, the city launched a $1 million e-bike safety ad campaign last year.
“With bicycle ridership reaching historic levels, we must use every tool available to give new and experienced cyclists the resources they need to bike safely,” DOT commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said when the campaign was announced. “Whether its building new protected bike lanes or educating New Yorkers these crucial skills on-the-ground.”