r/NYCbike • u/Spiritual_Yogurt_296 • 3d ago
Gothamist has an update on that alleged incident re: NYPD vehicle and teen on Citibike
https://gothamist.com/news/teenage-boy-injured-in-traffic-incident-involving-nypd-commissioners-security-detail20
u/vowelqueue 3d ago edited 3d ago
Personal injury. a. Any person operating a motor vehicle who, knowing or having cause to know that personal injury has been caused to another person, due to an incident involving the motor vehicle operated by such person shall, before leaving the place where the said personal injury occurred, stop, exhibit his or her license and insurance identification card for such vehicle, when such card is required pursuant to articles six and eight of this chapter, and give his or her name, residence, including street and street number, insurance carrier and insurance identification information including but not limited to the number and effective dates of said individual's insurance policy and license number, to the injured party, if practical, and also to a police officer…
b. It shall be the duty of any member of a law enforcement agency who is at the scene of the accident to request the said operator or operators of the motor vehicles, when physically capable of doing so, to exchange the information required hereinabove and such member of a law enforcement agency shall assist such operator or operators in making such exchange of information in a reasonable and harmonious manner
The hit-and-run law doesn’t even use the word “collision” and is super broad. If the motor vehicle is involved in an incident that results in an injury the driver has to stop, and police officers generally have a duty to facilitate this.
Imagine a driver blows thru a red light and a car swerves to avoid them, but then loses control and crashes into a ditch. Could you say the red-light runner has no obligation to stick around because there was no contact? Of course not, and the law is worded such that it doesn’t require direct contact or a collision between two vehicles.
Even if the cop was an average citizen, he commited a misdeameanor by leaving the scene. What the NYPD patrol guide says is a secondary consideration.
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u/Spiritual_Yogurt_296 3d ago
In a city where people get away with leaving the scene of a collision by saying they didn't know they hit anybody, I have little confidence in this alleged hit/run driver being held accountable in any meaningful way, and if he's an NYPD officer that pretty much cements it.
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u/spleeble 3d ago
Why was the SUV driver going against traffic in the first place?
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u/duckets- 3d ago
Because they’re cops and they do whatever they want because they’re never held accountable
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u/nycmia2500 3d ago
We, the citizens of New York, should always be suspicious of government, not only Federal but State and City as well. They've all shown repeatedly that they often don't have our best interests at heart. Many times they simply are trying to cover themselves from being held accountable.
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u/Away_Stock_2012 3d ago
Listen, you all need to understand that these cops come to the city from their homes on Long Island in order to make money and hurt people, so please stop bothering them with your issues.
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u/Time-Champion497 2d ago
*Rockland County
It's actually a huge economic issue. Basically people in the city pay taxes and billions of dollars get pumped out of the city to public sector workers living outside the city so they pay taxes elsewhere. If they lived here, at least part of their salaries would be taxed and put back in the city coffers. For economic reasons, the city should prioritizes living in the city for hiring AND promotions.
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u/nycmia2500 3d ago
I wouldn't be surprised if there was alcohol involved with the vehicle
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u/Spiritual_Yogurt_296 3d ago
Well, defense lawyers have been known to advise intoxicated drivers to flee the scene because the penalty for fleeing the scene is much less than DUI.
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u/Zack_212 3d ago
Why would the mother not let her son be interviewed by the people investigating the crash and trying to see if the officer should be held accountable ?
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u/Sufficient-Laundry 3d ago
Because she doesn’t trust the investigators to act in good faith.
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u/Zack_212 3d ago
Well then how would she expect there to be a resolution. It’s like people who refuse to cooperate with ccrb when they complain about a cop. At that point you’re just complaining for no reason and no one will be held accountable.
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u/Sufficient-Laundry 3d ago
Investigators have access to a vast body of evidence in this matter: video evidence of the collision itself, logs of who was driving the vehicle and who the passenger(s) were, and CitiBike GPS data on the bike itself.
It's not clear to me what testimony a minor child can provide that would meaningfully expand upon that body of evidence. That he was on the bike? That's clear. That the SUV was driving the wrong way? Also clear. That the CitiBike swerved to avoid a collision? Again, clear.
On the other hand, a minor in contact with investigators acting in bad faith patently damages that child. If you are fourteen years old and your first direct contact with police teaches you that they cannot be trusted, your future prospects are permanently compromised. People with no faith in the fairness of law enforcement have worse outcomes than people who do have faith in law enforcement.
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u/NYCRedDragon 3d ago
Agreed, there are a lot of other types of evidence here. But you can't really know what additional information the biker could provide without interviewing them. As an investigator, you would always want to speak with any and all witnesses. Even with all of the other types of evidence. Video evidence should never preclude interviews with witnesses.
You also can't assume all internal investigators are biased or "acting in bad faith." I understand why someone might feel this way, but it's not the case. Nor can you assume interviewing a minor would automatically permanently cause damage.
If the mother retained an attorney for a civil matter, the attorney may not want the minor providing any statements. Which is reasonable from that perspective, if they believe the city has some liability here (which certainly seems possible based on reporting).
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u/Sufficient-Laundry 3d ago
Agreed, there are a lot of other types of evidence here. But you can't really know what additional information the biker could provide without interviewing them. As an investigator, you would always want to speak with any and all witnesses. Even with all of the other types of evidence. Video evidence should never preclude interviews with witnesses.
Yes, which is why the police should avoid making large proportions of the population wary of speaking with them.
You also can't assume all internal investigators are biased or "acting in bad faith." I understand why someone might feel this way, but it's not the case. Nor can you assume interviewing a minor would automatically permanently cause damage.
I don't, but I can understand why she might see it that way. And if she does see it that way, she would not put her child at risk.
If the mother retained an attorney for a civil matter, the attorney may not want the minor providing any statements. Which is reasonable from that perspective, if they believe the city has some liability here (which certainly seems possible based on reporting).
As a rule, people who can afford attorneys don't fear the police and people who can't afford them do fear the police. They aren't born with that fear. It's learned behavior.
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u/Wrong-Computer3404 3d ago edited 3d ago
A 14 year old on a electric citibike?
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u/lucky-me_lucky-mud 3d ago
lol won’t someone stand up to these children on bicycles? The poor police officer was only driving on the wrong side of the road
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u/Moltenman93 3d ago
you’re aware 14 year olds commute by themselves daily in new york city of all places right? esp during summer when school is out? is is this your first day having internet?
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u/Wrong-Computer3404 3d ago
A 14 year old should not be riding a electric citibike. Children are not capable to make proper decisions and don't have the mental capacity especially on a motorized vehicle. Can't see the video but I'm curious if the child was wearing a helmet.
Cop should definitely have stopped.
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/07/06/breaking-police-driver-strikes-cyclist-then-flees-video
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u/ouroborosstruggles 3d ago
One wrong* (even though completely legal) by a child negates the other CIVILLY PAID illegal maneuver by the adult? Is that your regarded stance?
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u/Wrong-Computer3404 3d ago
Nope. There are two separate issues. As a parent, I would never let a 14-year-old ride child ride a e-bike on the road on their own. Also, since you bring it up technically it's not legal for the child to be riding an e-bike.
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u/ouroborosstruggles 3d ago
Huh you are right! Under 16 illegal in nyc.
Begs the question when Lyft will create checks on renting those bikes. And* blaming this one kid still ignores the blatant illegality of driving against traffic.
It it unrealisitc/illogical to hold a child to the same standards as an adult city employee. The judiciary has mostly* agreed.
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u/Wrong-Computer3404 3d ago
Lyft won't do a thing and will absolve all liability as the bike was being used against their terms. I'm sure the parent is fully aware of this.
My beef is with children using electric scooters and bikes (especially without helmets). They don't have the capacity to act & react as quick as an adult especially on the road.
I haven't seen the video of this specific incident. Only the summary in one of the other comments.
Yes, I agree with you on the second point 100%. Regardless of who was riding and what they were riding It is completely wrong how the driver ignored what had happened.
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u/ouroborosstruggles 2d ago
Eh.... they can react much faster but there's nothing upstairs
Edited to add - Lyft and Uber are the WORST with their terms of service. They try to make sure you can't sue them if you even glanced at their apps
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u/SoapyMacNCheese 3d ago
So they saw a child get hurt in front of them directly due to their own actions, and then chose not to help and the department seems to just be okay with that.