Mathieu Lefevre, 30, died in a bicycling accident in Brooklyn back in October of 2011, according to New York News & Features. The accident happened at the intersection of Meserole Street and Morgan Avenue, when a crane truck was making a left-hand turn and turned right into the cyclist. Officers reported at the time that the driver of the crane truck probably didn’t know he hit the bicyclist and that it was probably Lefevre’s fault for running at red light.
The bicyclist’s mother was infuriated at officers for releasing that information to the media. She was floored that her son was blamed in the accident and that officers never gave her the official documents from the accident. She filed a lawsuit against the New York Police Department (NYPD) and finally, after a long wait, received records from the accident. She says that the evidence doesn’t support the “official” account of the crash.
Our Brooklyn bicycle accident attorneys understand that the official paper work and the videos of the accident showed that the bicyclist didn’t run a red light and that the driver of the crane truck made that left-hand turn without signaling. After being hit by the truck, the bicyclist was dragged for about 40 feet and the bike was dragged another 130 feet.
“An investigator told me he saw the blood on the bumper that night, starting to run off in the rain,” said Lefevre’s attorney. “But they didn’t take a picture” because the camera was “not working properly (black photos).”
After persistence from the victim’s mother and from her legal representation, police reviewed video footage of the accident that was obtained from a CCTV video. This information was finally released under a Freedom of Information Act request. Before making this request, officers did not release the information because the investigation was still ongoing. After reviewing the new information, the victim’s mother released a statement saying that the video showed that her son did not run the red light on his bicycle and that he was not at fault in the accident.
Unfortunately, police officers and government investigators don’t always investigate accident scenes correctly. They can sometimes overlook or completely jumble evidence. If you’ve been involved in an accident, it is critical for you to contact and experienced attorney to help you to fight for your rights and to make sure that you have a voice. An experienced attorney can help you to conduct an independent investigation to help ensure that all of the proper and accurate evidence is in place when fighting the system.
The mother says that the NYPD has participated in a number of unprofessional aspects of the investigation. She added that officers with the department should take more responsibility in investigating accidents, especially when someone is killed. The driver of that crane truck has not been cited for running a light.
“NYPD should take its responsibility to investigate crashes more seriously,” said Lefevre.
If you or someone in your family has suffered an injury or has been killed in a bicycle accident in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens or in any of the surrounding areas, contact injury lawyer Nicholas Rose, PLLC for a free consultation to discuss your rights. Call 1-877-313-7673 for 24 hour assistance.
Additional Resources:
Details in Cycling Death of Mathieu Lefevre Look Pretty Bad for the Driver, NYPD, by Joe Coscarelli, New York News & Features
More Blog Entries:
Death Count Rises to Ten in 2011 Following Two Recent Fatal Bicycle Accidents in New York City
September 7, 2011
Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorists Can Benefit from Complete Streets Law in Reducing New York City Car Accidents
August 12, 2011
