[UPDATE BELOW] A woman struck by a cyclist in Central Park last week has died from her injuries. Jill Tarlov sustained severe head trauma when she was hit by cyclist Jason Marshall in the park near West 63rd Street and West Drive on Thursday afternoon. Tarlov's husband, CBS Senior Vice President of Finance Mike Wittman, has issued this statement:
My wife was beautiful in every way imaginable. Jill was the most amazing mother to Matthew and Anna, who taught them above all that kindness, compassion, and a spirit for life were the right morals to live by. Everyone who had ever met her was somehow made better by her company.
Even though she has been taken from us far too soon, her spirit will live on forever. On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers and request privacy during the difficult times ahead.
Marshall was reportedly riding his racing bike in the bike lane as he approached the intersection, and struck Tarlov after he swerved out of the bike lane to avoid several pedestrians. Some witnesses said he was speeding, which Marshall denies. He sustained minor injuries in the crash.
This morning, an NYPD spokesman confirmed that Marshall has not been charged.
CBS also issued this statement this morning: "We are heartsick over the passing of our dear friend and former 1010 WINS Radio colleague Jill Tarlov. As we mourn the loss of our friend and console Mike and his family, we are committed to doing what we can to bring greater public awareness of the perils of unsafe and distracted driving by motorists and cyclists that endangers pedestrians. Far too many people have been killed or seriously injured on our streets."
Tarlov was the second pedestrian to be killed by a cyclist in Central Park this summer. Last month 75-year-old jogger Irving Schachter was killed in a collision with a cyclist in the park. On Friday afternoon, police were seen distributing fliers to Central Park cyclists reminding them to stop at red lights and yield to pedestrians.
Update 12:17 p.m.: Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, has issued this statement:
“Transportation Alternatives is saddened by the senseless death of Jill Tarlov, and our thoughts are with her family.
"Last Thursday’s fatal crash in Central Park is again focusing much-needed attention on the imperative to safeguard pedestrians’ legal right of way and the mandate for bicyclists and drivers to exercise due care. We hope that information learned in the NYPD investigation into this incident, including the cyclist’s speed as he approached Ms. Tarlov, will inform the city’s response, as it should in every fatal or serious-injury crash.
"In the interest of safety, let us also bear in mind that the epidemic of pedestrian injuries and fatalities caused by motor vehicles is orders of magnitude greater than the problem of reckless cycling. As the tragic stories from crash victims’ families remind us, thousands of New Yorkers are killed or seriously injured each year by motorists who drive too fast and fail to yield to pedestrians and cyclists.
"We call upon the NYPD and district attorneys to use the new Vision Zero tools at their disposal - such as the new law in Section 19-190, which enables authorities to charge vehicle operators who strike pedestrians or cyclists who have the right of way."
