Bicyclist Hit By Tractor-Trailer, Killed In Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A bicyclist is dead after an accident Wednesday morning in Queens.
Investigators said the woman -- identified as Anna Rodriguez, 34, of Ridgewood, Queens -- was riding her bike near the intersection of 56th Road and 48th Street in Maspeth when a tractor-trailer traveling westbound hit her around 8:45 a.m.
She was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where she succumbed to her injuries about an hour later, CBS2's Diane Macedo reported.
Neighbors said the victim, who has not been identified pending family notification, was a single mother with a young son.
Meanwhile, police arrested the driver for allegedly driving with a revoked license.
"Being arrested is what he deserves if you're driving without a license," said motorist Eddie Ewald. "It's probably why what happened to this woman happened. He didn't know how to drive it properly."
Ewald also said the area where the woman was killed is dangerous.
"It's extremely chaotic here in the morning. Everybody's speeding through here. You got the trucks that are coming through here," he said.
And many bicyclists, like Daniel Salvatierra, said they often worry about their own safety.
"The car is not really paying attention to you, making turns when you're right next to them, pulling into parking spots," he said. "It's terrifying. That could have been me. I'm not even wearing my helmet right now."
The driver, identified as Dennis Forceri, 57, of Miller Place, was charged with vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and driving while ability impaired by drugs. He was also ticketed for not having a license, failing to yield to a bicycle, and failing to exercise due care, police said.
