New York Daily News

Senior dies after Revel scooter hit at Columbus Cir.

- BY THOMAS TRACY

An elderly Upper West Side woman struck by a Revel scooter at Columbus Circle last month has died, officials said Wednesday.

Helga Schnitker, 82, was in the crosswalk at W. 60th St. and Broadway on Sept. 29 when a 23-year-old man on the scooter plowed into her just before 8 a.m., cops said.

“It was an accident, a freak accident,” witness Khaled Osman, 50, who operates a halal cart near the corner, told the Daily News hours after the accident. “I didn’t see the hit, but I see the lady lying down and didn’t m ove. T h a t ’s wh a t caught my eye. I was very concerned.”

Medics rushed her to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she died several hours later.

Police didn’t release informatio­n about her death until Wednesday, three weeks after she died of her injuries. The man operating the scooter was also hurt and remained at the scene. No charges were filed after the incident.

“The guy was trying to help out,” Osman said at the time. “He was hurt, too, in his hand. I can see from far, you know, he’s in agony, he’s in pain.”

Three people riding on Revel scooters died in crashes over the summer. As a result, the company shut down operations in the city in late July to retool their safety measures. The company was allowed to operate again in late August.

Revel scooters are capable of reaching speed of just over 30 mph. The city’s speed limit on local streets is 25 mph.

The mopeds are made by Chinese manufactur­er Niu, and are not allowed on the city’s bridges, highways or tunnels.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States