The identity of the cyclist who was fatally struck last Wednesday has been revealed as Victor Hidalgo, a 24-year-old delivery man from the Bronx. This grim update accompanies the launch of a GoFundMe to cover the cost of returning Hidalgo's body to his family and follows the tragic collision involving a Fire Department of New York (FDNY) emergency vehicle in Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood, the Daily News reported. The incident, which took place at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Sackett Street around 8:15 p.m., involved an EMS ambulance reportedly rushing to a call about a choking baby when Hidalgo was struck, official statements confirm.
Hidalgo, who had turned 24 just one day prior to the accident, was transported to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital but succumbed to his injuries, his sudden death cutting short the life of a man described by his aunt Tomasa Hidalgo as deeply dedicated to his family and hard-working, he was reportedly working seven days a week to support his wife and young son and had aspirations of providing a better life for them. "He worked seven days a week," his aunt said in an interview with the Daily News, expressing that the loss has shattered the family, still reeling from the news.
In the wake of the collision, no charges have been immediately filed against the 44-year-old driver of the ambulance; the FDNY has indicated that the incident remains under investigation. The emergency call which the vehicle was responding to at the time of the incident was reportedly managed successfully by another unit, according to Hoodline.
The Park Slope community, no stranger to the bustling presence of delivery bikers weaving through its streets, is confronted once again with the somber reality of urban traffic dangers following this latest fatality, the second involving a cyclist and a city emergency vehicle within a span of just over a week, Hidalgo remembered as a diligent worker and a family-oriented individual, he was engaged in the pursuit of betterment for his loved ones, his death occurs as a stark reminder of the frailty of life amid the city's relentless pulse. A GoFundMe campaign has been initiated to aid Hidalgo's family with the expenses of transporting his body back to Mexico for burial, as noted by his aunt.
