UPDATE 30 May 2026: Police report the stand-up electric scooter driver, Francis Delball, caused the deadly crash when veered left into oncoming traffic to pass a slower bicyclist and slammed into bicyclist Dmytro Stechenko, who was heading the other way,
A morning bike ride turned fatal on Thursday, 28 May 2026, when a cyclist and the rider of a reportedly illegal high-speed stand-up electric scooter collided head-on in the dedicated bike lane on the north side of New York City’s Queensboro Bridge, killing both men.
Police received a 911 call shortly after 08:21, and emergency services responded to the bike path where a 39-year-old man operating a motorised stand-up scooter travelling westbound collided with a 35-year-old cyclist heading eastbound. Both men were wearing helmets at the time of the crash and transported to Weill Cornell Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens hospital, where they later died. A police source identified the victims as Francis Delball from New Jersey, who was riding the scooter, and Dmytro Stechenko of Queens, who was riding the bicycle, though the NYPD has not officially confirmed their identities.
Post-crash images circulating on Reddit appeared to show a carbon-fibre Factor Monza road bike, reportedly valued at around $7,000, snapped clean in half alongside the wreckage of the scooter. Reports indicated the stand-up e-scooter involved was capable of speeds exceeding 50 mph — well beyond what is permitted within New York City’s bike infrastructure.
While the city enforces a 15 mph speed limit for stand-up e-scooters and e-bikes, stand-up e-scooters capable of exceeding 20 mph are prohibited under New York law.
Transportation Alternatives executive director Ben Furnas said the crash was entirely preventable, calling on the City Council to advance the “Ride Safe, Ride Right” bill aimed at blocking sales of the most dangerous micromobility devices. Furnas stated that 20 mph is sufficient for any vehicle sharing a bike lane.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office described the crash as a stark reminder that illegal high-speed micromobility devices have no place on the city’s roadways or bike paths, pledging continued efforts to remove such vehicles from the streets.
The Queensboro Bridge bike and pedestrian paths were separated in May 2025 under the previous administration, with cyclists assigned to the north outer roadway and pedestrians to the south. However, the bike lane remains only 11 feet wide.
The crash investigation remains ongoing. Gran Fondo Daily News will continue monitoring the developing story and provide updates as further details become available.
Photo Credit: Max Chiu
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