FDNY Truck Driver Kills Bicyclist Outside Juniper Valley Park
A truck driver turned right off Juniper Blvd North and hit a 54-year-old cyclist on 80th Street. Police say the driver ignored traffic control; the rider was ejected and died from crush injuries as six truck passengers walked away.
What We Know
A 59-year-old truck driver hit and killed a 54-year-old bicyclist while turning right from Juniper Boulevard North onto 80th Street in Queens on a Saturday afternoon. According to the police report, the rider was ejected and died from crush injuries. Police recorded “Traffic Control Disregarded” as a factor for the truck driver, who was also reported injured. The truck carried six occupants. The crash involved an oversized box truck and a bike.
A turn at the park ended in a fatal crash
The official record identifies the bicyclist as a 54-year-old man and records one cyclist killed and one motorist injured.
80th Street has seen repeated harm since 2022
The crash was recorded at 80th Street and Juniper Boulevard North in Queens, just outside Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, according to police accounts.
CrashCountNYC’s location analysis for 80th Street in Queens counted 566 crashes, 338 injuries, 25 serious injuries and 6 deaths since 2022.
Reports describe the FDNY vehicle differently from the city record
The city crash record lists a 2019 Ferrara box truck and a bike. News reports described the FDNY vehicle as a fire truck, and the New York Post identified it as a Rescue Company 4 truck.
The official record says the truck driver was traveling east and making a right turn. News accounts said the driver was turning onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street, with the Daily News describing the truck as traveling north on 80th Street.
The record lists a traffic-control factor
The official crash record lists Traffic Control Disregarded as a contributing factor in the bicycle entry. The reviewed press accounts did not report charges, and the Daily News said there were no arrests as the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad continued investigating.
The New York Post reported, citing police sources, that the cyclist came out from behind a car and hit the side of the FDNY truck, ending up beneath the rear wheels. Other reviewed accounts did not include that sequence.
Police continued the investigation at the scene
Police said the bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. A witness told the New York Post that two firefighters remained at the scene and that one appeared shaken.
The Post reported that the FDNY truck had lights and sirens on while responding to a call. The Daily News reported that it was not clear whether the truck was responding to an alarm call at the time.