Statement: Another Cyclists was a Victim of a Hit and Run.

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY 

OF NEW YORK

 

OFFICE OF COUNCIL MEMBER

YDANIS RODRIGUEZ

  

CITY HALL

NEW YORK, NY 10007

 

Friday, August 16th, 2019

 

**Statement**

 

________________________________________________________________________  

 

Another Cyclists was a Victim of a Hit and Run

Yesterday afternoon a cyclist was struck from behind by a vehicle in Manhattan. The victim's name is Andres Cerezo Ibanes (27 years old). Currently, according to his father, Andres is in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital Center. Andres was not only a delivery cyclist, but a cyclist activist as well who attended rallies and events. The vehicle fled immediately after the crash leaving Andres on the scene. The support of bystanders who recorded and photographed the scene allowed for the NYPD to identify and apprehend the suspect.

The City has begun many initiatives to combat the current crisis impacting the safety of cyclists. I believe that these initiatives must be taken a step farther. We must be more ambitious with our plans to expand the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. We need to set goals that will ensure that our cyclists remain safe on the streets. The City should be looking at creating no less than 100 miles of protected bike-lanes per year. We must show that we value the lives of our cyclists by being more ambitious with our approach in creating safer roads. I will continue working alongside my colleagues at the Council and Advocates to ensure we meet those goals.

 

"Our thoughts go out to this dedicated working cyclist. We wish him a full and speedy recovery. Traffic violence on New York City streets is real, and it is rampant. Food delivery workers experience this violence every day, yet instead of standing with these victims our Mayor continues to claim without any evidence that food delivery workers pose a danger that requires heavy-handed police enforcement, exacerbating already challenging working conditions," said Marco Conner, Deputy Director, Transportation Alternatives "We call on the Mayor to rein in this draconian enforcement and focus limited police and city resources on making biking and work conditions safe for New York City's working cyclists."