A flatbed truck driver struck and killed a 68-year-old cyclist at the corner of 65th Street and Sixth Avenue and then sped off on June 28, according to cops, who have a suspect in custody.
Police say that Dyker Heights resident Shui Jiang — father of three and grandfather to six — was pedalling alongside the construction vehicle on Sixth Avenue in the direction of Sunset Park at 9:30 am when the motorist turned right onto 65th Street, causing a collision.
A manager at Bay Ridge Auto Sound on 65th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues said his business’s security tapes show the driver stopping the truck and getting out, then getting back in and driving away a moment later.
The manager, who lives nearby, said crashes are a common occurrence on and around 65th Street — where educators at nearby schools have long complained of reckless driving — but no incidents have been as gruesome as this one.
“This is accident alley, but this one was ridiculous. There was so much blood,” said the employee, who declined to give his name.
Police declared Jiang dead at the scene, and obtained the truck’s license plate number, and traced it back to the construction company. Cops arrested the driver at a job site near the corner of 55th Street and Seventh Avenue two hours later.
Authorities said it was likely the driver would be charged with leaving the scene of an accident.
Reach reporter Will Bredderman at wbredderman@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4507. Follow him at twitter.com/WillBredderman.
