New York City experienced a tragic incident on the Queensboro Bridge bike path where a collision between a cyclist and a man on an electric scooter resulted in two fatalities. Authorities have indicated that the e-scooter involved was capable of speeds far exceeding legal limits, raising significant concerns about micromobility device regulation. The incident occurred during the morning commute, highlighting ongoing safety challenges on the city's shared pathways.
The collision, which took place around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, involved 35-year-old Dmytro Stechenko of Queens, who was on a bike, and 39-year-old Francis Del Valle of New Jersey, riding a stand-up motorized scooter. The two were traveling in opposite directions when they collided, with both individuals pronounced dead at Weill Cornell Surgery at New York Presbyterian-Queens. The New York Times initially reported the incident, stating, > "A cyclist and a man on an electric scooter died after colliding in the bike lane on the Queensboro Bridge in New York City, the police said."
Further investigation revealed that the stand-up e-scooter operated by Del Valle was capable of reaching speeds over 50 miles per hour, significantly above New York City's 15 mph speed limit for such devices in bike lanes. "Scooters that travel this quickly have no place in our bike lanes," stated Ben Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. He emphasized that anything faster than 20 mph is "especially deadly" and called for the City Council to advance the "Ride Safe, Ride Right" bill to prevent the sale of dangerous micromobility devices.
A spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani echoed these concerns, remarking that the deadly crash is a "grim reminder that illegal, high-speed micro-mobility devices... are dangerous and have no place on our roadways or bike paths." The Mamdani Administration plans to continue efforts to remove these illegal devices and ensure accountability in micromobility use. Friends of the victims expressed profound grief, with Rachel Huynh, a friend of Del Valle, noting, "He was a really great husband to her, and they've been going out to vacations, exploring the whole world."
The Queensboro Bridge's bike and pedestrian path, though separated in May 2025 by former Mayor Eric Adams to dedicate the north outer roadway to bikes and the south to pedestrians, remains a narrow 11-foot-wide lane. This incident underscores the ongoing debate regarding the safe integration of various personal mobility devices into urban infrastructure and the enforcement of existing speed regulations.
