A 71-year-old bicyclist died Monday morning after a Central Park cyclist-dog collision near East 84th Street. Police said he hit an off-leash dog just before 8:30 a.m., was thrown from his Trek racing pedal bike and suffered head and body injuries.
First responders took him to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police said the dog’s owner was at the scene and the dog was not injured.
Central Park rules and timing
The collision happened during the 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. window when dogs may be off leash in Central Park, but park drives still require a short leash at all times. Police said it does not appear the cyclist was speeding, narrowing the immediate question to how the crash unfolded in a crowded section of the park.
The Central Park Conservancy also called for additional safety measures after a 41-year-old pedestrian was struck by a bicyclist and killed in the same area last month. Richie O'Brien was walking to work when he was struck there, and he died days later. The earlier death pushed attention to how pedestrians, cyclists and dogs are sharing the same stretch of Central Park.
East 84th Street crash details
The Monday crash happened just before 8:30 a.m. near East 84th Street inside the park. The bicyclist was wearing a helmet when he struck the pavement and suffered the injuries that proved fatal.
Police have not said anyone will face charges in the Monday collision. For now, the facts place the crash in a narrow time window, in a part of Central Park where leash rules change by hour and where a deadly crash had already happened last month.
