Surveillance video obtained by the Daily News reveals the critical moments before a fatal East Village Citi Bike crash on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, that claimed the life of 15-year-old Daria Serkov and injured a 16-year-old girl. According to police and video footage, the 2021 Peterbilt truck and the two teens were both turning right onto First Ave. from E. 14th St. at about 9 p.m. when the bike failed to turn as sharply as the truck, falling under its front wheels just outside the crosswalk.
The 15-year-old victim lived less than a mile away in the Peter Cooper Village residential complex, according to the NYPD. She was a high school student at New York City Museum School in Chelsea, where she played soccer for Lab Museum United’s Lady Gators team. Medics rushed both girls to Bellevue Hospital, where Daria was pronounced dead. The 16-year-old friend, who pedaled and steered the electric Citi Bike, sustained injuries and is expected to survive, according to police and local reporting.
Witness Accounts and Immediate Aftermath at E. 14th St. and First Ave.
Bystanders rushed to the scene immediately following the collision, ordering the 57-year-old truck driver to stop. Bdin Puangsawasdi, 60, who owns a Thai restaurant near the intersection, told reporters that he ran outside after hearing a loud noise and saw one of the victims pinned beneath the vehicle. According to Puangsawasdi, the truck driver emerged crying uncontrollably and appeared not to understand what had happened while police yelled at him to stop. Firefighters administered CPR for over 10 minutes, but Daria did not respond. The truck belonged to Badger Daylighting, a Bronx-headquartered company specializing in hydrovac excavation. Badger released a statement expressing devastation over the loss and stating full cooperation with the police investigation. The 57-year-old driver remained at the scene, and police stated no arrests have been made.
Additional coverage from the New York Post noted that bystanders attempted to pull the victim from beneath the wheels before police instructed them to stop to prevent further injury. Lyft, which owns and operates Citi Bike, released a statement expressing deep sadness and offering condolences to the family while committing to assist law enforcement with the investigation.
Safety Concerns and Street Design Context
Bicycling advocates from Transportation Alternatives pointed out that Daria was the fourth bicyclist killed within an eight-block stretch of First Ave. over the past decade. Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, described the corner as an extremely dangerous spot where cyclists traveling straight with the right of way are regularly placed at risk by turning traffic. Furnas stated that the design of intersections forcing bike riders to cross four lanes of traffic without adequate turning safeguards contributes directly to such tragedies. This fatal incident shares similarities with a 2023 crash three blocks further north where an 18-year-oid Citi Bike rider was struck and killed by an electric Amazon truck near E. 17th St.
Following the crash, Mayor Mamdani announced a reimagined street-safety strategy building on Vision Zero, which was originally created in 2014. The updated plan seeks to enforce daylighting—increasing street-corner visibility—using physical barriers to stop drivers from parking too close curbs. Furthermore, the city plans to target repeat traffic violators by designating drivers with 16 or more speed-camera or red-light camera tickets within 12 months as super-speeders, requiring them to install speed-limiters and pushing for state-level license suspensions.
Enforcement Actions and Community Response
Hours after the crash on Saturday, the NYPD deployed officers for a ticket blitz at the intersection of E. 14th St. and First Ave. Cops issued $190 traffic tickets to bicyclists for blowing red lights or riding in the bus lane while informing riders about the fatal accident that had occurred the previous night. Within one hour, officers handed out at least three tickets. Daria’s family declined to comment on Saturday, and the NYPD did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the ticket blitz.
Friends of Daria expressed grief on social media, with peers remembering her as a kind and vibrant member of the school community who brought happiness to those around her. Lyft reiterated that Citi Bike terms require riders to be at least 16 years old and stipulate that vehicles are intended for single riders only, contrasting with the two teens riding the single electric bike together.
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