A 15-year-old girl was killed and her 13-year-old companion hospitalized after an excavation truck struck the pair as they shared an electric CitiBike in Manhattan on Friday night.
The collision occurred at approximately 9 p.m. At the intersection of East 14th Street and First Avenue, where the truck was turning north, police said. Both teens were transported to Bellevue Hospital, where the older girl was pronounced dead. The younger victim was listed in stable condition.
A witness who ran to assist described chaotic scenes as bystanders tried to intervene. “Two bystanders were trying to pull the girl on the right side out from under the wheeI. Then the cops came and told them to stop because they could cause her more damage,” he said.
The same witness recalled the driver’s apparent inability to hear warnings from the crowd. “Screaming at the truck, ‘stop, stop, stop'” — but the driver kept going, he indicated.
The witness, who withheld his name, characterized the aftermath as “dramatic.” He observed the 15-year-old’s injuries in grim detail: “The girl was bleeding. The blood was leaking towards the other side of the vehicle.”
Emergency responders attempted resuscitation at the scene. “I saw the fire department come, doing CPR on the girl. Then the cops told everyone to walk away,” he said.
An electric CitiBike appeared pinned beneath one of the truck’s tires following the impact, according to the witness account.
The truck driver remained at the scene and was described as visibly distraught. No charges were immediately announced.
The witness expressed grief and frustration in equal measure. “I feel sad and sorry for the little girl and her family to see her pass away in this tragic way,” he said.
He added a pointed call for vigilance. “It should bring more awareness to look more. This could be prevented a hundred times,” he sighed. “We have to be more aware.”
The deaths come amid heightened concern over motorized two-wheeler safety in New York City, with multiple recent incidents involving e-bikes, e-scooters and similar vehicles. City officials have stepped up enforcement efforts following a jump in fatalities among riders of electric mobility devices.
The intersection where Friday’s crash occurred sits in a densely trafficked corridor connecting the East Village to Stuyvesant Town, with heavy volumes of commercial vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians throughout evening hours.