A 16-year-old boy died on Monday after the e-bike he and two other teens were riding collided with a truck in Brooklyn, according to NYPD officials.
The teenager, identified by police as Juraed Umedjon, was the 12th minor killed in traffic this year — a grim figure that already exceeds the annual totals recorded in nine of the past 10 years, transit advocates said on Tuesday.
“Our leaders cannot pretend to care about the children of our city and still do nothing when they’re killed over and over again,” said Elizabeth Adams, co-interim executive director for Transportation Alternatives.
Of the 12 children who have died in New York City traffic this year, all but one were killed while walking, biking or riding a motorcycle or moped, according to the nonprofit, which advocates for pedestrian and cyclist safety.
According to police, the incident occurred around 1:54 p.m. on Monday at the intersection of Coney Island and Ditmas avenues, a busy thoroughfare that transit advocates said is notorious for its lack of a dedicated bike lane.
Authorities described the driver as a 48-year-old man driving a 2017 Hino box truck. They said he was traveling eastbound on Ditmas Avenue when he made a right turn onto southbound Coney Island Avenue.
Umedjon was riding the e-bike with two other boys, aged 15 and 16, according to police. The teens had attempted to pass alongside the truck when they lost control of the e-bike and ended up under the truck’s wheels, the NYPD said.
Umedjon was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 15-year-old was hospitalized in stable condition and the other 16-year-old was treated on scene for minor injuries, police said.
The truck driver remained on scene and was not arrested, according to the NYPD.
Brittany Kriegstein contributed reporting. This is a developing story and may be updated.