Police: Dobbs Ferry Driver Struck Bicyclist

By Ashley Tarr

A 69-year-old man who was riding a bicycle on southbound Route 9 in Peekskill Thursday afternoon was admitted to the hospital in critical condition after he was struck by a vehicle, according to police.

The accident occurred between the Bear Mountain State Parkway and Main Street intersection. The bicyclist was traveling with traffic when a 2010 Hyundai Sonata hit him from behind. The driver, an 86-year-old Dobbs Ferry man, reportedly did not see the bicycle.


"He just ran right into him," Peekskill Police Lt. John White said, adding that a witness driving behind the vehicle told officials he honked his horn and flashed his lights because it did not look like the operator of the Sonata was going to slow down.

The victim, whose address is listed as Mount Kisco, was wearing a helmet that was damaged during the collision. After he was struck he hit the hood of the car and fell to the ground, according to officials. 

He suffered lacerations to his head, as well as his arms and knees, and he told police he was in severe pain. An ambulance transported him to the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in critical condition.

When first-responders arrived they found the bike embedded in the car's front fender. They also discovered the front tire, which had broken free and traveled about 50 feet, and a red warning light that was still flashing. It was most likely attached to the rear of the bicycle before the crash, according to White.

The driver reportedly did not sustain injuries. It's likely, White said, he will receive a traffic summons for failure to exercise due care when passing a bicycle.

"It's narrow and windy and it's not really designed for bicycle traffic," White said when asked about safety issues Route 9 presents for bicyclists. "Although bikes share the roadway it is a difficult area, one that I would avoid personally."