An electric bicycle rider has died of injuries sustained in a crash with a pedestrian in Central Park earlier this week, police said Thursday.
The cyclist, Charles Cheeseboro, 43, of Harlem, died Wednesday at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center after his crash with the pedestrian on Monday afternoon, according to the NYPD. Cheeseboro suffered head injuries in the crash.
Cheeseboro was riding a throttle-controlled e-bike heading north on East Drive when he struck a 77-year-old man, police said. It was not immediately clear who had the right of way, and a police investigation is ongoing.
The pedestrian suffered minor injuries, but police responded to find Cheeseboro injured and lying on the ground.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has for nearly two years ordered his police force to crack down on what are illegal, throttle-controlled e-bikes — even though incidents like Monday’s crash involving Cheeseboro are rare. A recent data analysis found that e-bikes accounted for .08 percent of all injury-causing collisions in the city last year.
Earlier this year, the State Legislature passed a bill to legalize throttle e-bikes and e-scooters with language that would also limit speeds and locations of use. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has yet to sign the bill into law.
