Kevin Scott Cruickshank, a banker and avid cyclist, was riding his bike at the corner of Canal Street and Bowery when the speeding car jumped a median, mounted the sidewalk, and struck him. May Kwok, who was sitting on a bench nearby, was also killed in the crash.
The blue Chevy Malibu, reportedly stolen and traveling at a high rate of speed, continued on its path, slamming into an empty NYPD van and crashing into a jewelry store. Two women in their early 20s fled the scene on foot but were apprehended shortly after the collision.
Police say the vehicle contained drugs and open containers of alcohol. The driver has a prior history involving a pedestrian-related incident earlier this year, according to law enforcement sources. Charges in the current case are pending.
According to nypost.com, "The stolen car that plowed into two bystanders and killed both in Chinatown was packing heat.
"Manhattan prosecutors said the reckless pair now charged in the horrific Saturday morning wreck had a gun stashed in the trunk of the stolen blue Chevy Malibu when it slammed into the victims and struck an NYPD van in a shocking caught-on-video tragedy.
"Accused driver Autumn Donna Ascencio Romero, 23, and 22-year-old passenger, Kennedy Lecraft, allegedly fled the scene of the horror but were nabbed by cops nearby."
Cruickshank was remembered by friends and neighbors as a warm and generous figure, often seen riding through Manhattan on his bike. He had been training for the NYC Century Bike Tour scheduled for September.
Local officials and street safety advocates renewed calls for traffic-calming infrastructure near the Manhattan Bridge, where the intersection has long been criticized for encouraging dangerously fast driving. Proposals include installing protected bike lanes, extended medians, and stricter enforcement measures.
Mayor Eric Adams condemned the crash, calling it a senseless loss of life. “No one should lose their life in that manner,” he said.
Sources:
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/cyclist-killed-chinatown-car-crash/6341992
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/nyc-cyclist-killed-control-driver-023734130.html
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https://www.aol.co.uk/nyc-cyclist-killed-control-driver-023734820.html
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