A 59-year-old man riding a Capital Bikeshare electric bicycle through downtown Washington has died nearly four weeks after a collision with another cyclist at 15th and M streets, according to police. David Watts was critically injured in the crash and later succumbed to his injuries on September 21, 2026, weeks after being hospitalized.
The collision happened on August 29 at around 3:24 p.m. at the intersection of 15th and M streets in Northwest Washington, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, as reported by FOX 5 DC. Watts was heading southbound on the bikeshare bike with a green signal in his favor when a fixed-gear bicyclist traveling westbound on M Street entered the intersection after passing a solid red light, according to detectives.
The two bicycles collided, ejecting both riders from their seats. The fixed-gear cyclist suffered only minor injuries, but Watts was critically hurt and rushed to a hospital, where he later died of his injuries. His death came 23 days after the crash first put him in critical condition.
Investigation Still Open, Witnesses Sought
Police say the investigation into the crash remains ongoing, and detectives are still trying to piece together exactly what happened in the moments before the two cyclists collided. Officers are asking anyone with knowledge of the collision to come forward, and they can be reached at (202) 727-9099 or via text tip to 50411.
No arrests, citations, or findings of fault connected to the crash have been disclosed as the case continues to develop. The identity of the fixed-gear cyclist involved has not been released.
A Broader Pattern on DC Streets
Watts's death adds to a string of recent cyclist fatalities in the District. Just Tuesday, a bicyclist died after being struck by a box truck near Logan Circle, according to DC News Now, with WJLA reporting the same collision closed part of Rhode Island Avenue near 14th Street. In January 2025, MPD identified 30-year-old Alexander Nikolenko of Northeast DC as the victim in a separate cyclist-death investigation, per a release from the Metropolitan Police Department.
As Watts's case remains under investigation, it stands as the latest reminder of how dangerous even a routine ride through a green-lit intersection can turn in the District.
