The 15-year-old girl killed Friday after being struck by a garbage truck while riding a Citi Bike in New York City has been identified as Daria Serkov.
Serkov was riding with a 16-year-old girl near 14th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan’s East Village when the truck hit them while making a right turn.
Serkov became trapped beneath the heavy-duty industrial vehicle. Witnesses described a horrifying scene and said the driver, who has not been identified, initially appeared unaware that he had run over the teenager.
Serkov was taken to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The other teenager remained in stable condition, according to CBS News.
Hundreds of mourners later gathered at the crash site for a vigil honoring the teenager.
Christine Janssen, a friend of Serkov’s family, told CBS News that she was with the girl’s parents when they received the devastating news.
“We were all together having dinner last night and playing games, and everybody was there except for Daria, and then we got the call later that night,” Janssen said.
“It was just surreal.”
Daria Serkov, 15, was identified as the girl killed Friday after a garbage truck struck her while she was riding a Citi Bike in New York City
Serkov was riding a Citi Bike with her 16-year-old friend when she was trapped beneath the massive truck
The mangled remains of a blue Citi Bike were visible beneath one of the truck’s enormous wheels
Janssen remembered Serkov as “a spicy go-getter” who was always pursuing her goals, as well as “a beautiful, beautiful girl.”
A GoFundMe campaign organized after the crash has raised more than $85,000 to support Serkov’s family.
“The purpose of this fundraiser is to gather money for the funeral as well as any related expenses and support,” Janssen, who organized the campaign, wrote.
“While no amount of money changes the outcome of this awful event, it takes a village of friends, family and neighbors to lift them up any way we can.”
An eerie photo from 2025 also surfaced that appeared to show Serkov falling from a Citi Bike into a bush beside a busy city street.
Months later, disturbing images showed a major emergency response at the location where she was killed, with at least six ambulances reportedly rushing to the intersection.
“I heard a loud sound, like a scream,” a 22-year-old witness told the Daily News.
“The truck had run over them. It looked like two women. One of the women on the bike was crushed under the truck. They were giving her CPR and pumping her chest. The other one on the other side was lifted into an ambulance,” the witness added.
A family friend told CBS News that Serkov was “a spicy go-getter” on a mission and “a beautiful, beautiful girl”
A photo from 2025 surfaced showing the young girl appearing to have fallen off a Citi Bike into a bush on the side of a busy city street
‘It didn’t look good. It was crazy. There were cops everywhere.’
Footage showed police and firefighters swarming the area and quickly throwing up crime tape around the privately owned truck, which sat motionless in the middle of the road.
The mangled remains of a blue Citi Bike could be seen crushed beneath one of the truck’s massive wheels, while a lone Puma sneaker lay abandoned on the street nearby.
The NYPD said the truck driver, who remained at the scene, was being questioned as they launched an investigation into the deadly crash, according to NBC.
Multiple city cameras at the intersection are believed to have captured the crash and could provide crucial evidence for investigators, including which vehicle had the right of way, police said.
