A driver lost control in Harlem on Thursday night, causing a tragic collision that killed one bicyclist and injured four others, as reported by both witnesses and authorities.
The incident occurred around 8:05 p.m., when a 49-year-old man driving a red Hyundai Tucson hit two cyclists, aged 28 and 33, near West 125th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. According to the police, the driver also crashed into a parked NYPD cruiser and several other vehicles, including a semi-truck.
Both cyclists were hospitalized with critical injuries, but, interestingly, the driver escaped without any harm. Sadly, the 28-year-old cyclist was later pronounced dead, while the other remains in serious condition.
Additional injuries were reported, including three people from parked vehicles—a 40-year-old man in a Rav4, as well as a 23-year-old and a 28-year-old man in a Lexus. They were all stabilized at local hospitals.
A witness named Jonathan Morillo shared his experience, describing how he saw the driver collide with a gray car and then a truck, which sent debris flying everywhere. “It was like an explosion,” he said, recalling how the debris even struck his own vehicle. He seemed genuinely shaken, telling reporters, “I panicked… everything happened so fast.”
Morillo noted the chaotic scene, emphasizing how the driver didn’t seem to want to stop: “There was a lot of debris everywhere…and the guy just kept hitting the gas.”
Authorities have taken an unnamed person of interest into custody, and charges are reportedly pending. The investigation into this reckless driving incident continues.
