Biker Killed in Central Park Dodging Off-Leash Dog Lived on UWS

A 71-year-old man biking through Central Park was killed on the morning of October 5 after skidding to avoid an off-leash dog. Several days later, the NYPD confirmed that the victim was an Upper West Side resident.

Police identified the victim as Douglas Adams, who resided on West 89th Street. No arrests have been made in connection with the incident, although the NYPD notes that an investigation is ongoing.

Despite the fact that Adams was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, he hit the sidewalk after flying over his handlebars while avoiding the dog, causing fatal head trauma.

The crash occurred on East Drive at around 8:16 a.m., cops said, where Adams was biking roughly 52 feet from E. 84th Street. At this point, the dog in question—later identified as a golden retriever—crossed East Drive “outside of the marked crosswalk,” causing Adams to slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with it.

EMS transported Adams to New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The dog was unharmed.

It appears that the dog was permitted to be off-leash at the time, given that the incident fell in the approved 6-9 a.m. daily window.

“We are heartbroken to hear of the fatal incident that occurred in Central Park this morning involving a cyclist and an off-leash dog. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and loved ones of the cyclist who lost his life,” the Central Park Conservancy said in a statement.

“More than 40 million people share this magnificent 843-acre gift of green space each year. Every single one of us must accept the responsibility to keep it safe and welcoming for one another,” they added. “Leash your dog, observe speed limits, and follow the rules of the Park.”

The incident occurred less than two weeks after a cyclist fatally struck a pedestrian in the same exact vicinity of the park on September 23, leading to a significant public reaction.

Rich O’Brien, a 41-year-old Long Island resident, had been headed to his job as a steamfitter at around 6:30 a.m. when he was slammed into by a 32-year-old man on a pedal bike; he died of his injuries after spending roughly four days unconscious in the hospital.

After O’Brien was hit, the Central Park Conservancy called for the enforcement of a 15 m.p.h. speed limit in the park, as well as “stronger and more consistent enforcement of traffic rules by our partners in city government.” Indeed, the New York City Council held a blockbuster hearing on e-bike safety and speed limits one week after O’Brien was struck, with a large consensus of attendees calling for a sales ban on e-bikes (or other e-vehicles) that exceed 20 m.p.h.

While the bike that killed O’Brien was of the typical pedal variety, e-bikes are also frequently used in the park and have struck multiple people, spurring activist groups such as the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance to push for their banning from the 843-acre park.

“EVSA fully blames the DOT for the deadly redesign of the parks drives that has caused e-biker deaths, pedestrian deaths, cyclist deaths and hundreds of serious injuries such as Jean Kotler who was hit by an e-bike in June and has brain damage,” EVSA Director Janet Schroeder said. “We blame the Central Park Conservancy for never speaking out against the deadly parks drives design or calling for a ban on e-vehicles in Central Park.

Meanwhile, some bikers have supported calls to install new enhanced bike infrastructure alongside the edges of the park, which would separate them from using the common lanes that are currently shared with pedestrians and runners—a status quo that undoubtedly makes dangerous collisions more likely.

In numerous statements expressing concern over recent crashes in the park, the Central Park Conservancy has noted their support for such “bike infrastructure around the Park’s perimeter,” or “safe, direct routes that don’t require cutting through the Park itself.”