A 15-year-old high school student was killed and a 16-year-old girl was injured Friday night when a heavy commercial truck struck the electric Citi Bike they were riding together in Manhattan’s East Village, prompting an ongoing police investigation and renewed scrutiny over turning truck hazards.
Fatal Collision at East 14th Street and First Avenue
The crash unfolded around 9 p.m. on Friday at the intersection of East 14th Street and First Avenue. Police stated that a 2021 Peterbilt commercial truck, operated by a 57- or 58-year-old man, was traveling westbound on 14th Street before attempting a right turn onto northbound First Avenue. The electric Citi Bike, carrying two teenagers, was traveling in the same direction and attempting the same right turn when the collision occurred.
Surveillance footage obtained by the New York Daily News shows the two girls riding on a single bike, inching alongside the truck as it stopped before the turn. As the vehicle executed the right turn, the bike failed to match the truck’s sharper angle, ending up beneath the front wheels just outside the crosswalk. Witnesses rushed to the scene to alert the driver, who remained at the emergency site and cooperated with investigators.
Oh man, I was crying, I was praying for the girl. It was, oh my God.
Terrence Moss, via WABC
Emergency responders rushed both victims to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. Fifteen-year-old Daria Serkov was pronounced dead at the hospital. The 16-year-old girl operating the bike sustained a leg injury and was listed in stable condition.
Identity, Community Impact, and Badger Daylighting’s Response
Daria Serkov lived less than a mile from the crash site in the Peter Cooper Village residential complex. She attended the New York City Museum School in Chelsea, where she played soccer for Lab Museum United’s Lady Gators team.
Assembly Member Keith Powers, who represents the area, wrote on X that the incident was absolutely horrifying
and extended thoughts to the victims’ families, adding that the city must do everything we can to increase safety
according to Spectrum News NY1.
Photographs from the scene showed the gray electric Citi Bike lodged beneath the wheels of an industrial hydro excavation vehicle bearing a Badger Daylighting logo. A spokesperson for Badger Daylighting confirmed that one of its vehicles was involved and stated that the company was fully cooperating with the police investigation.
Intersection Safety, Truck Regulations, and Shared Bike Rules
East 14th Street was designated a Transit and Truck Priority corridor by the NYC Department of Transportation in October 2019 to concentrate heavy bus and commercial traffic. Bicycling advocates pointed out that turning vehicles pose constant hazards to cyclists navigating across avenues to reach dedicated bike lanes.
Transportation Alternatives executive director Ben Furnas said in a statement that the city must fix the chaotic intersection through turn calming and protected bike infrastructure.
Under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375(10-e), enacted in 2011, commercial trucks weighing 26,000 pounds or more operating in New York City must feature front crossover convex mirrors to eliminate blind spots. Additionally, New York State law and Citi Bike terms of service prohibit multiple riders on a single-person bike, and Citi Bike policy requires riders to be at least 16 years old. Police noted that the younger victim was 15 while the operator was 16.
Enforcement Blitz and Ongoing Investigation
In the hours following the collision, the NYPD conducted a ticket blitz at the intersection. Officers issued $190 traffic tickets to cyclists running red lights or riding in bus lanes, while informing cyclists about the fatal crash that occurred the previous night.
As of Saturday, the NYPD Highway Patrol and Collision Investigation Squad continued their forensic reconstruction and review of the incident. No arrests had been announced against the truck driver.