2 NYC Cyclists Killed, 1 Hurt Within 13 Hours, Cops Say

NEW YORK — New York City's cycling death toll grew again Tuesday as two bikers were killed and another seriously hurt in 13 treacherous hours, according to police.

Trucks hit and killed riders in Greenpoint and Staten Island hours before an SUV critically injured a third in Queens early Wednesday morning, the NYPD said — bringing the number of cyclists killed this year to 17, up from 10 in all of 2018.

The deadly period spurred cycling advocates to demand a response from Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"These crashes are tragic examples of what happens in a city that purports to welcome cyclists but fails to dedicate protected space for bikes on the vast majority of its streets," Thomas DeVito, the senior director of advocacy for Transportation Alternatives, said in a statement.

The carnage started when a tow truck heading south on Clove Road in Staten Island slammed into 17-year-old Alex Cordero as he was biking west on Castleton Avenue shortly after noon Tuesday, according to police.

Cops found Cordero at the intersection with severe injuries and medics rushed him to Richmond University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

Police are still investigating the crash, though they said the tow truck's 38-year-old driver stayed at the scene.

Fewer than four hours later, a box truck heading south on McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint rammed a 58-year-0ld cyclist facing the same direction the street shortly after 3:50 p.m., according to police.

Medics rushed the unidentified biker from the intersection of McGuinness Boulevard and Norman Avenue to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the NYPD said. Police say no one has been arrested in the incident.

Another crash in Woodhaven left a 28-year-old biker fighting for his life after a Nissan Rogue SUV hit him near the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

The cyclist was in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital, the NYPD said. No arrests have been made in the crash.

The string of collisions came despite the NYPD's efforts to crack down on dangerous driving in the wake of this year's increase in cyclist deaths.

Seven of the fatalities have occurred in just the last two months — including that of Ernest Askew, whose family is struggling to afford a burial for the avid cyclist.

De Blasio, a Democrat, ordered his Department of Transportation to develop a cycling safety plan and direct the NYPD to crack down blocking bike lanes and other traffic offenses in the wake of the death spike. But police data show bike lane enforcement lagged as the death toll rose this year.

De Vito called on the city to create a "dauntlessly bold and swiftly implemented" safety plan that includes a commitment to adding 100 miles of protected bike lanes in the next two years and street redesigns where fatal crashes happen.

He also urged de Blasio to go for a bike ride "so he can experience firsthand the reality New York City cyclists face every day."

"The continued carnage on our streets demands an immediate response from the Mayor," De Vito said.

In another effort to protect cyclists, the City Council approved a bill to give bikers a head start by allowing them to follow pedestrian signals at thousands of intersections around the city. The move has support from the Department of Transportation.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated how many cycling fatalities had occurred in the two months prior to publication. It was seven, not six.