The East Village community gathered over the weekend to mourn the loss of a 15-year-old girl who was killed after she was hit by a truck while riding a Citi Bike.
Hundreds gathered Saturday evening at the site of the crash, lighting candles, bringing flowers and holding each other tightly as they remembered Daria Serkov.
Serkov played soccer and tennis. The teen had a twin sister and lived in Stuyvesant town.
Many people were too emotional to speak, instead leaning on the community for support.
“At 15, it’s like, this is a lot for kids to process. It’s a lot for anyone to process,” said Christine Janssen, who organized the vigil. “These kids just need to be together.”
According to the NYPD, Serkov was riding on the back of a Citi bike Friday night that was being steered by a 16-year-old girl.
The girls were traveling west on 14th Street along a portion of the street without a bike lane. They continued straight into the path of a turning truck, which had its turn signal on, and into the driver’s blind spot.
Serkov was pronounced dead at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. The 16-year-old girl was in stable condition but severely injured.
The truck was driven by a 58-year-old man who remained at the scene. An investigation is ongoing.
The Badger Company, which operates the truck, released a statement expressing condolences to Serkov’s family and saying the company is cooperating with authorities.
Meanwhile, an online fundraising campaign was created to help Serkov’s family and has already raised more than $30,000.
According to Transportation Alternatives, nine people have been killed while riding their bikes in Manhattan this year.