Teen cyclist killed in East Village collision with commercial truck

A 15-year-old girl was killed Friday night when a commercial truck collided with the bicycle she was riding in the East Village, police said. The crash occurred around 9 p.m. at East 14th Street and First Avenue as a 57-year-old driver of a Peterbilt truck made a right turn onto First Avenue and struck the bike, which was traveling in the same direction and attempting the same turn.

The 16-year-old girl who was operating the bicycle sustained a leg injury and was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she remains in stable condition. The 15-year-old victim, identified as Daria Serkov of Manhattan, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The truck driver was unharmed and stayed at the scene. No arrests have been made, and the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad is conducting the investigation. The vehicle bore a Badger Daylighting logo; a company spokesperson confirmed one of its trucks was involved and said Badger is cooperating fully with authorities.

The incident coincides with Mayor Zohran Mamdani's recent unveiling of a revised Vision Zero plan aimed at improving pedestrian and cyclist safety. Transportation Alternatives noted that the crash marks the fourth cyclist death on an eight-block stretch of First Avenue in the past decade and urged the city to implement turn-calming measures, protected bike lanes, and safer intersections.

"We’re counting on the City of New York to fix this chaotic intersection to make it safe for New Yorkers who are walking, biking, riding, or driving, no matter if they’re going straight or turning right," Transportation Alternatives' Executive Director Ben Furnas said.