E-Bike Rider Killed By Teen Pickup Truck Driver, Police Say

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — An e-bike rider was killed in Long Island City on Monday morning when a teenage driver behind the wheel of a pickup truck hit him in broad daylight, police said.

On Oct. 1 around 7:22 a.m., Thomas Panto, 32, was riding the bike on Honeywell Street, heading north towards Northern Boulevard, when an 18-year-old driving in the opposite direction veered into the northbound lane and slammed into Panto, according to the NYPD.

Panto, who was found unconscious on the street, died at a nearby hospital — marking at least the third time that an e-bike rider was killed by a driver in Northwest Queens during 2021, a year that is on track to be the deadliest since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office.

All told, there have been at least 206 traffic deaths this year, including 16 cyclists.

In response to Panto's death, Danny Harris, executive director of the street safety organization Transportation Alternatives, criticized the mayor for scaling back on lifesaving infrastructure — like protected bike lanes — despite his plan to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024.

The street where Panto was killed, for instance, used to have a bike lane with flex-posts, but the city removed the bike lane's barriers a year later after they were destroyed by drivers, Streetsblog reported.

"At best, painted bike lanes are useless, but at worst, they are a reckless invitation from the City of New York to its residents, inviting New Yorkers to ride a bike while failing to adequately protect them," said Harris, pointing out that on Google Maps there's a dumpster parked in the bike lane where Panto was killed.

The driver, who police said stayed at the scene at the time of the accident, failed to comply with state law by crossing a street marked with double yellow lines.

According to police, however, as of Tuesday no arrests have been made and the investigation remains ongoing by the NYPD Highway Patrol Collision Investigation Squad.