Downtown Brooklyn, NY (September 7, 2026) – The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad has released new details about a collision that killed a 77-year-old man riding an e-scooter in the Schermerhorn Street bike lane on the afternoon of September 7. The crash happened just before 2:30 p.m. near Smith Street, police said.
According to the Collision Investigation Squad, a 47-year-old man on a bicycle was traveling southbound outside the designated bike lane. The cyclist attempted to re-enter the lane where the 77-year-old man was traveling westbound on Schermerhorn Street, police said.
Both riders collided and were ejected onto the pavement. Neither was wearing a helmet, according to police.
The 77-year-old man was transported to Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The cyclist remained at the scene.
There have been no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing. Police have not released the name of the man who died.
This is a developing story. Details may change as the investigation continues.
Fatal E-Scooter and Bicycle Crashes in Brooklyn, NY
A crash between two riders with no car involved raises a question families rarely expect: who pays? The answer is different from a typical Brooklyn car accident, and the difference matters.
- Who may be liable: the cyclist, if his re-entry into the lane is found negligent. A cyclist has no auto policy, but a homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy often covers liability for injuries he causes while riding. Finding that policy is usually the first job.
- No-fault does not apply: New York’s no-fault system covers crashes involving motor vehicles. A bicycle-versus-scooter collision falls outside it, so the family’s claim goes directly against the at-fault rider and any coverage he carries.
- What investigators examine: the CIS reconstruction, the exact point where the cyclist left and re-entered the lane, camera footage from the hotel and businesses on Schermerhorn Street, the width and design of the lane at that spot, and witness accounts from a busy holiday afternoon.
- A city angle may exist: if the lane’s protection ends or narrows at the crash point, the City of New York’s design and maintenance of the bike lane can be reviewed. Claims against the City require a notice of claim within 90 days (General Municipal Law § 50-e). For a crash on September 7, 2026, that notice must be served by December 6, 2026.
New York follows pure comparative fault. The absence of a helmet may be raised as a defense, but it does not bar a claim. It can only reduce a recovery in proportion to its share of the harm.
A wrongful death claim must be filed within two years of the date of death. For a death on September 7, 2026, that deadline is September 7, 2028. The estate must be opened in Surrogate’s Court first, which takes time, so the two-year window is shorter than it looks.
Contact Our Brooklyn Bicycle and E-Scooter Accident Attorneys
A father or grandfather who was out for a holiday ride and never came home leaves a hole that no legal process fills. What the process can do is make sure the loss is not quietly written off as an accident nobody has to answer for.
Our Brooklyn bicycle accident attorneys have handled rider-on-rider and micromobility collisions since well before e-scooters filled the city’s lanes. These cases live or die on finding coverage and locking down the reconstruction, and our wrongful death lawyers in Brooklyn have recovered more than $900 million for injured New Yorkers, including a $2,000,000 wrongful death result.
Business cameras along Schermerhorn Street keep footage for a matter of days, and the cyclist’s insurance information is only available if someone asks for it early. Both need to be secured now, while the CIS file is still open.
We take these cases on contingency. Your family pays nothing to start and nothing at all unless we win.
Why Brooklyn families trust Frekhtman & Associates:
- $900M+ recovered for injured New York clients across more than 25 years of practice
- $69,225,000 auto accident jury verdict, one of the largest in New York State history
- Free 24/7 consultations, including home and hospital visits for clients unable to travel
- Personal callbacks from founding attorney Arkady Frekhtman
- Russian-language services available
- Zero fees unless we win your case
- Brooklyn office at 60 Bay 26th St, serving families across the borough
- $2,000,000 wrongful death result
