A 54-year-old Hempstead man is facing charges after police say he fled the scene of a collision that killed an e-bike rider in Nassau County. William Reyes was driving a Jeep eastbound on Peninsula Boulevard when it collided with an e-bike traveling southbound on Franklin Avenue, according to police.
The e-bike rider suffered severe head and body trauma and was transported to a hospital, where the rider was pronounced dead, according to News12 Long Island. Police said Reyes left the scene following the collision and was arrested after an investigation. He has since been charged with leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death.
The outlet's report does not identify the e-bike rider or provide the rider's age, and it does not include a primary police statement, court record, or charging document detailing the arrest. It is also unclear whether Reyes has entered a plea or what, if any, court proceedings have followed the arrest.
A Pattern Of Deadly E-Bike Crashes Across Long Island
The Peninsula Boulevard crash is the latest in a string of fatal and serious e-bike collisions across Long Island this year. In North Bellmore, a 14-year-old boy died following a crash involving an e-bike hit by a Chevrolet SUV at an intersection that has drawn concern from locals, according to greaterlongisland.com. In July, a 17-year-old driving a 2014 Dodge Ram struck a 14-year-old e-bike rider in Bethpage, leaving the teen critical; the driver of the truck remained at the scene, per a report from Newsday.
Not every case on Long Island has involved a driver fleeing. In a 2025 Long Beach crash, the 47-year-old operator of an e-bike that struck and killed a 68-year-old pedestrian remained at the scene, Newsday reported separately. And in another Long Island case, a 15-year-old e-bike rider was fatally struck by a car while fleeing police, according to PIX11.
Nassau Police Confront a Growing Enforcement Burden
Nassau County officials have said police are dealing with several e-bike enforcement cases daily, according to the Long Island Herald. A broader Newsday investigation found that traffic crashes killed more than 2,100 people and seriously injured more than 16,000 people on Long Island between 2014 and 2023, underscoring how deeply roadway safety concerns run across the region well beyond e-bikes alone.
The trend extends beyond Long Island's borders. The New York Times reported that at least 28 people riding electric bicycles and stand-up scooters died in New York City crashes in 2026, the highest annual total recorded by that point in the year. Proposed e-bike rules have also been discussed.
