East Side Bike Horrors: One Man Dead, One Woman Critical

A 46-year-old woman cyclist sustained serious leg injuries after she was run over by a truck on the Upper East Side on Second Avenue and East 57th Street. The incident came only one day after a 32-year-old man on an illegal high-speed e-bike lost control in the bike lane on First Avenue near East 45th Street and crashed into a barrier, causing serious head trauma.

The NYPD Highway District’s Collision Investigation Squad has determined that the biker on First Avenue was driving northbound shortly after 10 p.m. riding “an illegal HappyRun G100 Pro Electric Bicycle, with a top speed of 50 mph.” The city passed a law last year setting a top speed for e-bikes of 15 mph.

“The operator lost control of the bicycle and collided with the barrier, causing him to fall to the pavement, sustaining severe head trauma,” according to an NYPD spokesman. “EMS responded and transported the victim to NYC Health & Hospitals/Bellevue where he was pronounced deceased.”

He was identified as Jason Galindo of 88-43 43rd Ave. in Elmhurst, Queens. He was active in the local community, was a prolific weight trainer, and had run an alcohol awareness program for a local parish in Queens. He attended Hunter College. His funeral was slated for Jan. 20 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Bartholomew Church in Elmhurst. and following the mass was scheduled to be interred in St. John’s Cemetery in Middle Village.

“For anyone who knew Jason Galindo, his sudden passing will be a shock,” posted the Jackson Heights Beautification Group on Facebook. “We extend our condolences to his family and friends.”

“This is insane to take in. I knew him in elementary school, we were in the same class,” said Erick Modesto in a Facebook post. “My sincere condolences go out to his entire family during this rough time. May he sleep in peace.”

Eight hours after Galindo’s fatal crash, another tragic accident occurred on the UES, on Jan. 13 at approximately 6:13 a.m., when a woman heading south on Second Avenue on a non-motorized pedal bike was struck at the intersection of East 57th Street by a red 2006 Kenworth tractor-trailer operated by a 53-year-old man.

The trucker was attempting to make a right-hand turn onto westbound East 57th Street when he struck the cyclist. After the initial impact, the bicyclist was run over by the tractor-trailer, causing severe trauma to her right leg, according to the NYPD.

EMS rushed the woman to NewYork-Presbyterian /Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition. One report in Streetsblog, citing a witness on the scene, said the victim’s leg was severed in the accident. The NYPD had no further details on the victim’s condition.

The truck operator was uninjured and remained on the scene.

According to the website How’sMyDrivingNY, the truck involved in the crash has accrued nine total driving violations, totaling $340.00, four of which occurred in Manhattan. Four of these violations have come from speeding in school zones, the most recent coming in July of 2025. Additionally, the truck failed to stop at a red light in August of 2023.

As of Jan. 15, no arrests have been in the Jan. 13 incident. Investigations remain ongoing by the NYPD Highway District’s Collision. Investigation Squad.

The city has said that 2025 was the safest year on record regarding traffic injuries. There were 20 bicycle fatalities in 2025, down from 23 in 2024, according to statistics released by the city. Within that total, four of the fatalities were from riders on pedal-powered bikes while 16 were killed riding e-bikes.

Pedestrian deaths dropped to 111 in 2025, from 122 a year earlier.

Twenty-one motorcyclists were killed last year, which is a drop from 31 in 2024. Moped fatalities dropped to 15 in 2025, down from 19 in 2024.

The latest statistics also said that there were 4,328 bicycle injuries reported in 2025. The Electric Vehicle Safety Alliance has claimed that the injuries are actually far higher than the official count because the NYPD generally does not take a report unless a fatality is involved.

The City Council passed the 15-mph law for e-bikes, but enforcement has been sporadic.

Julia Kerson, who was appointed deputy mayor for operations by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, said she hopes to continue the downward accident and fatality trend in the coming year. “Last year was the safest year on record, with the fewest traffic deaths since records began in 1910, but one life lost is one too many,” she said.

“No New Yorker should lose their life while walking, driving, or biking in our city,” said Kerson. “Vision Zero [which was started during the Bill de Blasio administration and continued during the Eric Adams years] has shown that the choices we make—how we design our streets and how we enforce traffic laws— save lives,”