77-Year-Old Cyclist Dies After Pavement Crash in Elmhurst
Lin Wen-Chiang, a 77-year-old bicyclist from Corona, died after a fall on 40th Drive in Elmhurst, where city crash data listed defective pavement and Streetsblog reported prior 311 complaints about a cave-in.
What We Know
Lin Wen-Chiang, a 77-year-old bicyclist from Corona, died after a crash on 40th Drive in Elmhurst. City crash data recorded a fatal bicycle crash there on Feb. 24, 2022, and listed defective pavement as a contributing factor. QNS, citing police, reported that Lin fell after hitting an object on the roadway near 40th Drive and 95th Street and later died at NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst. Streetsblog reported that residents had filed repeated 311 complaints about a cave-in and that workers patched the damaged pavement shortly after his death.
A late-night fall on 40th Drive
City crash data records that a 77-year-old male bicyclist was killed on 40 Drive on Feb. 24, 2022, with defective pavement listed as a contributing factor. The record gives the time as 10:15 p.m.; QNS, citing police, reported that Lin Wen-Chiang was riding around 11:15 p.m. when he hit an object on the roadway near 40th Drive and 95th Street.
QNS reported that Lin suffered head injuries in the fall and was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst, where he was pronounced dead.
Lin Wen-Chiang was a Corona resident
QNS identified the bicyclist as Lin Wen-Chiang, 77, of Corona. Streetsblog reported that a man at Lin's building said Lin was active in a nearby church.
The crash site had drawn complaints before the death
The official record places the fatal bicycle crash on 40 Drive in Elmhurst. QNS described the location as near 40th Drive and 95th Street, while Streetsblog reported that the damaged pavement was on the block between 94th and 95th streets.
Streetsblog reported that residents had repeatedly used 311 to complain about a cave-in or failed repair on the block before Lin died, including a complaint six days before the crash.
Defective pavement was central in the records and reporting
City crash data listed defective pavement as the contributing factor. Streetsblog described the roadway problem as a broken, caved-in patch of pavement that residents said had been reported many times before the fatal crash.
Workers patched the pavement after Lin died
Streetsblog reported that city workers repaired the caved-in pavement shortly after Lin's death, and that a plate at the site bore DEP initials. A DOT spokesperson told Streetsblog, "This is a tragedy and an investigation is underway." QNS reported that the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad was investigating the crash.