A woman riding her bicycle was fatally struck by a private sanitation truck along East 23 Street on Friday afternoon, witnesses at the scene said.
Fire officials said the incident occurred on East 23 Street between Park Avenue South and Madison Avenue, just before 12:30 p.m. The woman, described by witnesses as being in her 50s or 60s, was not wearing a helmet. Several people at the scene said the woman had just left the curb when her bicycle was clipped by the Citywide Demolition and Rubbish truck.
Traffic was diverted off parts of the street as investigators continued to piece together exactly what happened. An entrance to subway station of the 6 train at 23 Street, near the scene, was closed and roped off by police tape.
Around 3 p.m., detectives were still seen investigating and speaking with witnesses. The garbage truck and a MTA bus remained at the scene and were cordoned off by police. A van from the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner left the scene around 3:40 p.m.
Crowds of inquisitive residents and tourists remained at the scene for hours, which sparked outrage from some. “Some poor lady got run over and there are hundreds of gawkers,” a man said.
It was not immediately clear if any criminality was involved.
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