A 49-year-old man, Luis Cruz, was killed in Brooklyn on Friday night after being struck by an e-bike delivery worker who ran a stop sign. The accident occurred at the intersection of Franklin and India streets in Greenpoint. According to witnesses, Cruz was double-parked and exiting his car when the e-bike rider, who was in a rush to make a delivery, failed to stop at the sign and struck him. Cruz died at the scene.
The incident is not an isolated one, according to a local restaurant worker, Jack Collins, who has seen several other accidents involving e-bike riders in the area. Collins believes that the convenience of food delivery apps like GrubHub, Seamless, and UberEats contributes to the recklessness of some e-bike riders, who are under pressure to make quick deliveries to earn a living.
The NYPD is investigating the incident, which is the latest in a series of accidents involving e-bikes. Despite concern over safety, e-bike delivery workers are becoming increasingly common in the city, with over 65,000 workers operating in the five boroughs. However, many do not use cars and rely on e-bikes, which are often unregulated.
City lawmakers have called for tighter regulations on e-bikes, but the Transportation Department (DOT) reports that they account for less than 2% of traffic deaths and less than 4% of traffic injuries in the city. Between 2021 and 2024, six pedestrians were killed by e-bike riders, compared to 471 killed by other vehicles. The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has also linked unregulated e-bike batteries to hundreds of fires across the city.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of e-bike delivery workers and the city’s response to regulating their activities. Some argue that the convenience of food delivery apps drives the behavior of some e-bike riders, who are under pressure to make quick deliveries to earn a living. Others call for stricter regulations to ensure the safety of all road users.