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Aussie Cyclist Killed by Drunk Garbage Truck Driver in NYC

A 23-year-old woman on what her parents describe as “the trip of a lifetime” was killed by a garbage truck, after she swerved her bicycle and got into its lane, to avoid a collision with another car in the bike lane.
Bike lanes in Lower Manhattan 11 photos
Photo: Downtown Express
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The incident happened on Friday. The next day, the garbage truck driver, identified as Felipe Chairez, was charged with driving under the influence, though he was under the legal limit. At the time of the arrest, police officers noticed he had bloodshot eyes, but his blood-alcohol content was .04, the legal limit for commercial drivers, the New York Times reports.

Chairez admitted he had a couple of beers before getting at the wheel of his truck. His attorney told the media he may have also had a chicken salad.

Madison Jane Lyden was biking on the bike lane, when a black Toyota livery vehicle pulled in in front of her, forcing her to swerve into the next lane to avoid the collision. She swerved right in front of the garbage truck.

Though the Toyota driver had no right to be in the park lane and though cops said he was coming out of a bus station, no ticket was issued in his name. According to reports, he will not be held accountable for Lyden’s death in any way.

The Aussie had dreamed of coming to New York to bike through Central Park for years. Just one day before the accident, she’d told her parents that she was on the trip of her life and that she was having the best of time.

Her death, which could have been prevented, has reignited the debate around the need to enforce cyclist safety in the city. The mayor himself, who is responsible for the creation of over 66 miles of bike lanes in 2017 alone, promised the case would be properly investigated.

“This is another example, from my point of view, of the danger of reckless driving, and we’re going to make sure there’s a full investigation and we’re going to make sure that there are real consequences for anything that happened here that was illegal,” Bill de Blasion said. “A 23-year-old, that’s very painful.”

Paul Steely White, the executive director of nonprofit advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, says Lyden’s death should serve as a warning to drivers to respect the bike lane.

“Every day in this city, bike lanes meant to protect people on bikes are used as drop-off lanes, parking lanes, and idling lanes for lazy and entitled drivers,”
he adds. “As a city we should be ashamed, because this death could have been prevented.”
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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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