NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A man riding an e-bike fell off and was fatally struck by a box truck in Harlem early Monday morning, according to police.
Police responded to a 911 call about a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and West 122nd Street around 6 a.m.
Sezar Morales Linares, 31, was riding his e-bike when he allegedly disobeyed the "do not enter" signs, according to police.
He then rode onto a concrete sidewalk extension, lost control, and fell onto the road, where he was struck by a 2018 Peterbilt box truck driven by a 61-year-old man, according to detectives.
The driver tried to avoid hitting Morales by swerving right but ended up colliding with another car parked along the west side of Manhattan Avenue.
The driver stayed at the scene, police said.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Morales unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to his head and body.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside where he was later pronounced dead, police said. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death.
An investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
The fatal crash happened a day before Mayor Eric Adams and the DOT commissioner were to announce a new e-bike awareness campaign Tuesday called "Get Smart Before You Start," aimed at educating New Yorkers on safe e-bike operation. The campaign will include street redesigns and enforcement to reduce injuries and fatalities.
While nearly six percent of NYC adults use e-bikes or e-scooters weekly, the city saw a rise in e-bike-related fatal crashes last year, many involving solo collisions, according to city data.
In 2022, there were nine fatal crashes involving pedaled e-bikes, and by July 4, 2023, there were already 12 such crashes recorded. Comparatively, in 2022, traditional pedal-powered bikes were involved in 10 fatal crashes, and by July 4, 2023, six fatal crashes had occurred.