(NEW YORK) — Two people died in a collision between a rider on an electronic scooter and another on a bike on the bike path during the morning commute on a New York City bridge on Thursday.
Francis del Valle, 39, who was operating the scooter, and Dmytro Stechenko, 35, who was on a pedal bike, were heading in opposite directions on the Queensboro Bridge around 8:20 a.m. when they collided, according to police.
Both victims were rushed to New York Presbyterian-Queens, where they were pronounced dead.
Del Valle was driving the Blade GT II scooter, according to investigators, which sells for $1,700 and is advertised to go “zero to 53 [miles per hour] in 3.9 seconds.”
The electric stand-up scooter is illegal to operate on New York City streets because it can reach speeds of more than 50 miles per hour, in excess of what the city allows for e-mobility devices.
Following the incident, it appeared the NYPD was directing bicyclists to use the south outer roadway, according to investigators. That part of the bridge has been pedestrian-only since the bridge’s lanes were reallocated in May 2025.
The north outer roadway used to be shared by cyclists and pedestrians, but that was becoming too crowded and dangerous. Two dozen people were injured there between 2021 and 2025.
Rachel Huynh, a friend of del Valle, told WABC that he left behind a wife and two children.
“His wife is in bad shape, especially with the kids. I can’t imagine. He was a really great husband to her, and they’ve been going out to vacations, exploring the whole world,” she told WABC.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that the city is reviewing the crash and reiterated that fast e-scooters are illegal in the city.
“Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe, and the Mamdani administration will continue to work to remove these illegal devices from our streets and bring accountability to micromobility use,” the spokeswoman said.
Transportation safety groups also echoed the mayor’s office’s warning.
“Our thoughts are with their families, friends, and community. Crashes like these are entirely preventable. Scooters that travel this quickly have no place in our bike lanes,” Ben Furnas, the executive director of the non-profit Transportation Alternatives, said in a statement.
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