MANHATTAN. A bicyclist riding down Sixth Avenue died yesterday after
being struck by an open car door and then run over by a passing truck,
police said.David Smith, 63, was thrown from his bike after striking the
door at about 9 a.m. in front of 989 Sixth Ave., near 36th Street.
Smith was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.“He was an avid cyclist and rode his bike to work every day,”
said Smith’s partner, Rev. John Moody, who has retired from Trinity
Church on Wall Street. “He had all sorts of lights and safety things on
his bike. When he’d ride home at night, people would sometimes say,
‘Hey lights,’ because he had so many lights on his bike.”Moody said he and Smith, a recording engineer at Triton Sound on West 43rd Street, had been partners for 36 years.
5 thoughts on “ENOUGH: ANOTHER CYCLIST KILLED”
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It’s true what Anne of sustainable flatbush says. We need to do like many places in the Netherlands, and have bike lanes between the parked cars and the sidewalk.
in order for cycling to be truly safe in new york city, not to mention a truly viable transportation option that the average person would consider, we need bike lanes that are separated from traffic by a physical barrier. period. this would eliminate most of the current conflicts that occur between bikes and both pedestrians and motor vehicles. tragedies like this make it obvious that a few lines painted on the street just aren’t doing the job.
What a tragedy. Here’s clearly a person who made a daily, brave effort to brave insane traffic and drivers to ride a bike, do something good for the environment and get some exercise, and paid the ultimate price. How sad.
I was moved by the item. I see your response. Real cool there, JanetG.
“Up” Sixth Avenue, I’m sure. Cyclists have a better chance to be seen by car-door-openers riding against traffic. Anyone know whether reckless door-opening is a violation? Probably not–jaywalking is but that’s because the walker is getting in a car’s way.