Accidental Turn Becomes Fatal for Brooklyn Bicyclist

The bicyclist who died while riding on the Manhattan Bridge Friday night was identified as 27-year-old Brooklyn resident Sam Hindy. Hindy's father Stephen, a former Middle East correspondent for the AP and Newsday reporter who later co-founded the Brooklyn Brewery, said, "We're just devastated. This is the worst thing that could happen to any parent. It's any parent's worst nightmare."

Sam Hindy and a friend were riding back from Manhattan to Brooklyn on the upper roadway amongst cars. Steve Hindy told the NY Times that "the police told him that the two riders had taken the wrong ramp and found themselves on the roadway with trucks and cars." The Daily News also reports that the police think the pair were riding on the upper roadway because the bike path was obstructed by construction. When Hindy and friend Benjamin Price turned around to head for the lower roadway, the Post explains that Hindy "struck a barrier, sending him flying [15 feet] down onto the lower roadway through a split in the bridge, landing next to a car."

The car, a 1995 Toyota, then hit him. The 62-year-old driver Joachim Romage said, "A bicycle hit the right side of my car. I didn't see the guy. I thought it was garbage bags. He didn't hit my car, he hit the street. I was so shocked. How can someone riding on the upper level flip over?" Charges were not filed against Romage and Hindy, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and had been working at Double Click, was pronounced dead at New York Downtown Hospital. Price was uninjured.

There is some question about whether Hindy was intoxicated, as the pair had been drinking before biking over the bridge, but there is no substantiation at this point. Further, Hindy was apparently not familiar with the Manhattan Bridge, as he usually biked across the Brooklyn Bridge. Transportation Alternatives' Noah Budnick criticized the Manhattan Bridge's bike-friendliness, telling the Post, "The traffic is so thick around the bridge and the street grids are so confused that without a map or experience, it's understandable how someone could be misled and end up on the roadway."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on November 18, 2007 12:25 PM

Comments [rss]

Mickmack

My prayers are entirely with this family tonight on Thanksgiving. All we need to do when we read a story like this is honor our own mortality, our short time here on earth with our loved ones, and show love to others while we are here. Please do not write hurtful things about the dead which can only cause more pain to people who are already suffering too much.

I did not know Sam, but I saw him often as he lived next store. And he had a really nice way about him.

May he rest in peace.

May his family some day know that the smile that appears here on this page cannot ever go away.

JenChungsBaby

I've met his father Steve Hindy several times and he's a very nice guy who's quite active in Bklyn causes such as restoring Prospect Park.

Kind of ironic though that Steve Hindy is also the owner of Brooklyn Brewery, then his kid goes out and gets killed biking on alcohol.

allenwhy

#14, nice words.

#15, thank you for showing people Sam wasn't a huge moron who got what he deserved as people are trying to argue here. thank you for showing it could happen to anyone.

#16, i seriously doubt wearing a helmet would have saved him from falling 20 feet onto high speed lanes of traffic... though good question to try and call him a moron who was asking for it, rather than a guy who made a mistake and got lost, then paid a dire price.

JRod5417

Gothamist- Can the police file charges against a dead guy? Did you mean file charges against his friend who survived? Just wondering.

AnonEMouse

Was this guy wearing a helmet?

zreader

I ride my bike every day over the brooklyn bridge, but the first time I rode over the manhattan bridge I couldn't find the entrance and accidentially rode over the car portion. It was raining and terrifying. I was pretty sure there was a bike lane somewhere, but I kept thinking I would find the entrance, and by the time I realized that it was beneath me, it was too late, and going backwards would have been even more dangerous.

emilydickinson

It seems everyone is missing the fact that he made a mistake and got on the roadway, and was sadly killed while correcting it to get on the bike path. You people have never made a wrong turn? The Manhattan Bridge bike path is clearly marked, but at night I can see how you can make that mistake and end up with the cars. I'm just sad to see the need for another ghost bike, we are just losing too many cyclists. Rest in peace buddy. Everybody else, ride safe, stay aggressive and wear your helmet.

freddyhere

What a shame - anyways, isn't this just Darwinism at work here....?

allenwhy

Zodak, the report says he usually takes the brooklyn bridge, so he is not very familiar with the manhattan bridge. regardless, it's not that easy. i get confused still because i do not frequent that bridge... and i get confused sober.

Roltide23, i saw that he was drinking, but where does it say that the police said he was drunk? please link that so i know...

Spirit of 76

[2], Have you ever heard of that newfangled invention? I think it's called, "brakes." They can actually help control your speed on downhills. Or so I've been told.

babyhitler

was he riding a fixed gear with no brakes? seems like those are the bikes of choice for the dearly departed these days.

Jake Dobkin

you'd have to be pretty drunk to miss the entrance to the bridge and accidently ride over the top deck-- at least, if you'd ever been over that way before. it's the difference between a three lane road filled with traffic and a one lane bike path.

satanslaundromat

Since when is the bike path closed? I rode over it on Friday night. There's some construction near the entrance, but the path was open.

zodak

this is a crap story, although the bike path is closed, the pedestrain path is still bikable. hindy was born in brooklyn, if he were sober he would have known where he was. if people can't handle the downhills, they should take the subway. the bridge bike onramps are not confusing on either side. that's more crap. i'm with ph on this one.

Peter

Maybe the best thing would be to prohibit bikes from the bridge until the construction work on the bike path is completed and there's been signage installed.

allenwhy

Hey #1, do you pick and choose what words you read actually register, and then make stupid, ignorant statement as you just made?

Here is the sentence: "There is some question about whether Hindy was intoxicated, as the pair had been drinking before biking over the bridge, but there is no substantiation at this point."

Notice how it does not say he was drunk, but rather there has been no proof stating he was drunk.

Do you even bike over the Manhattan Bridge? Do you know how confusing it is? I doubt it...

books

38 years ago an uncle died on that bridge while riding his bike across it...I dunno if they had a bike path back then...he was found below it on the Brooklyn side. He was 21. I wasnt even born. I hate that bridge. My condolences to the family.

babyhitler

OMIGOD! This is like my worst nightmare come true. You guys ever ride down the slope of the brooklyn bridge coming to manhattan? it's so fucking dangerous. The slope makes you go downhill at 30 miles per hour. One bump in the road or inadvertant pedestrian can send you flying onto the car driveway. It's amazing no one's died from the brooklyn bridge yet.