A tragic incident in Queens has led to the death of a 26-year-old cyclist after he collided with an open car door, according to Gothamist and NY Daily News. Cristian Villafuerte Vasquez was riding in North Corona near the intersection of 108th Street and 38th Avenue last night when a BMW 3 Series sedan owner opened his vehicle's door to exit; Vasquez was unable to avoid the sudden obstruction and suffered a fatal collision, as per NY Daily News.
The accident, which occurred around 6:30 p.m., led to serious head trauma for Vasquez who was quickly transported to Elmhurst Hospital; despite rapid response and medical attention, he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival, and the driver of the BMW, a 25-year-old man, stayed at the scene but has not faced any criminal charges in the grim occurrence, although this kind of accident commonly referred as "doored" continues to pose a substantial danger to the city's cycling community just like on Aug. 25 another e-bike rider was killed in a similar fashion without subsequent immediate arrests, as per Gothamist.
Statistics from the NYPD show a slight decrease in traditional bike collisions this year, with 3,670 incidents reported through October 19, down from 3,695 at the same time last year, but a significant increase in e-bike related crashes by 36%, exceeding 700 incidents as stated by Gothamist. Transportation officials are emphasizing the need for increased caution as daylight saving time concludes, and evenings become darker earlier, which historically decreases visibility and heightens risks on the roads, marking more than 170 traffic fatalities so far in the year, a slight improvement from over 200 this time last year.
