Two teenage girls riding together on an electric bike were struck by an excavation truck in Manhattan on Friday night, killing one and sending the other to the hospital, police said.
The girls, ages 15 and 13, were traveling west on East 14th Street when the truck hit them as it turned north onto First Avenue at around 9 p.m., according to the NYPD.
Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. The 15-year-old was pronounced dead, police said.
The 13-year-old was reported to be in stable condition.
Witnesses said neither girl was wearing a helmet.
Bystanders screamed at the truck driver to “stop, stop, stop,” but he apparently did not hear them, one witness said.
The witness, who did not provide his name, described the scene following the crash as “dramatic” as he rushed over to help.
“Two bystanders were trying to pull the girl on the right side out from under the wheel. Then the cops came and told them to stop because they could cause her more damage,” he said.
“The girl was bleeding. The blood was leaking towards the other side of the vehicle,” the witness said. He added that he “saw the fire department come, doing CPR on the girl. Then the cops told everyone to walk away.”
Bdin Puangsawasdi, who owns Kati Thai restaurant on East 14th Street, ran to the intersection after his wife heard a “loud noise” nearby.
“I saw the truck driver come out and he was crying uncontrollably,” Puangsawasdi recalled to The Post.
Puangsawasdi said police shook the girl, but she did not respond, before pulling her from beneath the truck.
The 60-year-old restaurant owner said firefighters performed CPR on the teen “for about 10 minutes,” but he “didn’t see any response and the blood was coming out from her ears.”
“A lot of blood was coming out,” he said.
An electric Citi Bike appeared to be trapped beneath one of the truck’s tires.
“I feel sad and sorry for the little girl and her family to see her pass away in this tragic way,” the unnamed witness said.
The crash should raise awareness and encourage people to pay closer attention, he said. “This could be prevented a hundred times,” he sighed. “We have to be more aware.”
The witness said the busy intersection should have a traffic officer present, arguing that “clearly the truck did not see the two girls.”
Puangsawasdi said he “knew something like this was gonna happen because this is a big intersection [with] a lot of reckless bicyclists.”
“I feel very bad. She has her full life ahead of her,” he said of the 15-year-old victim.
The truck driver works for Badger hydro-excavation.
A company spokesperson said Badger is “fully cooperating with the NYPD and other authorities as they investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.”
“We are devastated by the loss of this young life and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Our thoughts are with all those impacted, and we are grateful to the emergency responders who provided care and assistance at the scene.”
