Bicyclist in critical condition after being hit by driver on dangerous Bay Ridge corner

May 11, 2018 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

All that's left of the cyclist's bike was still sitting at 73rd Street and Ridge Boulevard an hour after the crash.

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A bicyclist was clinging to life Thursday after being struck by an SUV at 73rd Street and Ridge Boulevard in Bay Ridge.

Police say a 63-year-old woman was driving west on 73rd Street in her Ford Explorer when she collided with a 29-year-old male cyclist traveling northbound on Ridge Boulevard. She remained on the scene and was not given a ticket.

The cyclist was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn with serious injuries, NYPD spokesman George Tsourovakas said. He was in critical condition. The driver was also taken to the same hospital with “pain to her nose,” the spokesman said.

Police claim the driver had a green light, but gave no details on how they came to that conclusion.

Neighbors complained that the intersection is dangerous. Nine pedestrians and four cyclists have been injured in crashes on Ridge Boulevard between 72nd and 74th streets since 2010, city statistics show.

“This intersection has been on our radar and on the Department of Transportation’s radar for years,” City Councilmember Justin Brannan said. “People need to slow the F down.

A cyclist was struck by a car earlier today in #BayRidge and was brought to the hospital with very serious injuries. I am without words. EVERYBODY NEEDS TO SLOW THE F DOWN.

— Justin Brannan (@JustinBrannan) May 10, 2018

“I am both saddened as well as frustrated upon learning of this horrific crash which took place at this notorious intersection which, for years, residents have been asking for help,” Brannan added.

“The Department of Transportation must act now and install safety measures immediately to minimize any chance of a deadly incident in the future.”

The crash came less than a week after dozens of activists rallied for more traffic enforcement at a corner where a young boy was critically injured by a motorist. Cycling and pedestrian advocates called for the state legislature to pass a stalled bill that would double the number of traffic cameras to catch speeders.

State motor vehicle records show the driver of the SUV in Thursday’s crash has been ticketed six times in all: four for failure to display valid registration stickers and twice for double parking.