A 51-year-old woman was killed Monday in Manhattan by a hit-and-run dump truck driver on 34th Street near Herald Square, marking the second person on a bike killed in Manhattan by the driver of a trash truck without underguards in as many weeks, according to local news reports.
Fatal Midtown Crash Involves Unregistered Dump Truck
The fatal collision occurred Monday on 34th Street near Herald Square. A dump truck driver struck and killed a 51-year-old woman in a hit-and-run incident.
The truck involved in Monday’s crash was not registered with the city’s Business Integrity Commission (BIC). A BIC spokeswoman confirmed the vehicle’s lack of registration within the agency that oversees the private trash hauling industry.
Recurring Dangers of Trucks Lacking Side Guards
Monday’s fatality is the second time in as many weeks that a person on a bike has died in Manhattan after being struck by a trash truck operating without underguards. These guards are designed to prevent pedestrians and cyclists from falling in the path of a large truck wheel.
In a separate incident on Friday, Sept. 18, a truck driver killed 15-year-old Daria Serkov. Astonishingly, the municipal government had previously granted the vehicle’s owner an exemption from the mandate requiring safety guards on commercial garbage trucks.
Broader Transit and Infrastructure Developments
Alongside the trucking safety debate, several other municipal updates emerged across the city this week. Pointing the finger at last week’s fatal incident where a cyclist struck and killed a pedestrian in the park, critics of two-wheeled transit belonging to the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance blamed the recent redesign of the Central Park drives. Following pushback and complaints from area merchants and local politicians, the G train will no longer be suspended during three weekends this December.
Commuters should also prepare for upcoming adjustments, including higher NYC Ferry fares and potential service impacts on the Staten Island Railway due to leaves on the tracks, the MTA warned. On the legislative front, Council Speaker Julie Menin heralded a 700-student free OMNY pilot she won in this year’s budget negotiations, while Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn is out as Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair.