A crash in Central Park on Sept. 18 killed a 58-year-old woman and wife of CBS Television Stations’ senior vice president. The pedestrian died after suffering severe head injuries from being hit by a bicyclist in New York City.
The NYPD has reported that the accident occurred when a 31-year-old male cyclist heading south in a bike lane moved to avoid a group of people on foot and struck the woman as she stepped off a curb. Witnesses apparently told the authorities that the man yelled at her to move out of the way, but the witnesses thought that she did not hear the man.
Bikers and pedestrians share the roads in Central Park, and the speed limit for cyclists is 25 mph. Bicyclists are also expected to follow the rules of the road, yield to pedestrians and slow down at crosswalks. This accident is still under investigation, and it is unclear how fast the biker traveled or who had the right of way. The cyclist has not been charged for the crash.
There was a two-week safety initiative implemented by the NYPD a month before the accident occurred that was meant to lessen pedestrian deaths. Officers issued 4,300 moving violations in the city during this time.
A personal injury or wrongful death claim may be filed by a victim or a loved one if it is found that another party exhibited some form of negligence that led to the accident and subsequent results. Families of those killed in pedestrian accidents could recover expenses lost due funeral costs and medical bills. One can pursue a case in civil court even if no criminal charges are filed.
Source: CBS News, “Wife of CBS Senior VP hit by bicyclist, dies“, September 22, 2014
