The bicyclist hit by a police tow truck yesterday on the West Side is in critical condition. Dr. Carl Nacht, a physician at St. Luke's-Roosevelt, had been taking a late night bike ride with his wife on the West Side bike path when a tow truck hit him as it was making a right turn at West 38th (the truck was headed for the impound lot at Pier 76). Nacht was not wearing a helmet during the collision. According to the Daily News, he "was thrown from his bike and propelled a dozen feet into the air. He smashed into a parked tow truck, striking his head against its hood." He suffered serious head trauma. The tow truck driver, a civilian member of the NYPD, was not charged or given a summons. As many of our commenters noted yesterday, there are lights to warn drivers and bicyclists, but the sad truth is that many drivers do not pay attention.
Nacht, a "marathoner and avid bicyclist," is currently at Roosevelt, after treatment at St. Vincent's. Here are bike safety tips from the city.
