Add The New York Post on Google The 15-year-old girl killed after being struck by a sanitation truck in the East Village while riding a Citi Bike was identified Saturday as Daria Serkov, police said.
Serkov’s friend, a 16-year-old girl who was on the Citi Bike with her, was also injured in the crash and remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to police.
The crash happened at East 14th Street and First Avenue around 9 p.m. Friday. The truck was attempting to turn right onto First Avenue when it hit the teens, police said.
EMS rushed both girls to Bellevue Hospital, where Serkov was declared dead, according to cops.
Bystanders were “screaming at the truck, ‘stop, stop, stop,’” but the driver apparently couldn’t hear them, a witness told The Post.
The witness, who declined to give his name, called the aftermath of the collision “dramatic.”
“Two bystanders were trying to pull the girl on the right side out from under the wheel. Then the cops came and told them to stop because they could cause her more damage,” he said.
“The girl was bleeding. The blood was leaking towards the other side of the vehicle,” the witness said, adding he “saw the fire department come, doing CPR on the girl. Then the cops told everyone to walk away.”
Bdin Puangsawasdi, owner of Kati Thai restaurant on 14th Street, ran out to the intersection after his wife heard a “loud noise.”
“I saw the truck driver come out and he was crying uncontrollably,” Puangsawasdi recalled to The Post.
The driver remained on the scene and there were no charges, cops said. The girls were both riding the same bike and weren’t wearing helmets, witnesses said.
The truck was a Hydro excavation truck from Badger Daylighting. The New Jersey company released a statement saying they were “devastated” and sending “heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.”
Lyft, which owns and operates Citi Bike, told The Post, “We’re deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and condolences are with the family during this incredibly difficult time. We are ready to work with law enforcement and provide any assistance they need as they investigate. Safety is our top priority, and we remain committed to working with our city partners to make streets safer for everyone.”
