Woman On Citi Bike Hit, Killed By Truck Driver In Astoria, Police Say

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A woman riding a Citi Bike was fatally struck by the driver of a cement truck at an Astoria intersection Thursday afternoon, just blocks away from her home, according to police and local officials.

The victim, identified Friday morning as 62-year-old Tamara Chuchi Kao, was riding eastbound on 24th Avenue around 5 p.m., according to police.

Meanwhile, the 48-year-old driver of a cement mixer truck was stopped at a red light at the corner of 24th Avenue and 29th Street — across the street from Bohemian Hall beer garden, and steps from a Citi Bike dock on 24th Avenue, police said.

When the light turned green and the driver turned right onto 29th Street, he struck Kao, who had ridden between the truck's passenger side and the parked cars along 24th Avenue, according to police.

Kao was knocked to the ground. She was found lying on the street with head trauma, and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

The truck driver stayed at the scene and was not arrested, but an investigation is ongoing, police said.

Kao lived about a 15 minutes' walk south on 30th Avenue, according to authorities.

While police could not specify the type of bike Kao was riding, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani said on Twitter that she was on board a Citi Bike.

"Absolutely heartbreaking," Mamdani said Thursday evening.

"I don’t know her name & her family likely doesn't even know that she's dead," he added. "All I know is that she’s the 4th cyclist to be killed in Astoria in 2.5 yrs."

Those victims include Xing Long Lin, a delivery worker killed by a driver on 35th Street in 2021.

State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez lamented Kao's "unnecessary death," pointing to the more than 200 deaths recorded on New York City streets in 2022.

"These are not "accidents" --traffic violence is the outcome of poorly designed streets and is a solvable problem," Gonzalez said. "We look forward to working with our city partners to push for safer streets."