Updated
Updated · New York Daily News · Jul 29
Gabriel Nacato, 17, Dies in SUV Crash on 960-Watt Illegal E-Bike Near City Hall
Updated
Updated · New York Daily News · Jul 29

Gabriel Nacato, 17, Dies in SUV Crash on 960-Watt Illegal E-Bike Near City Hall

3 articles · Updated · New York Daily News · Jul 29

Summary

  • Gabriel Nacato, a 17-year-old Brooklyn student, was killed about 8:55 a.m. Wednesday after his Deepower e-moto bike collided with a 2008 Chevy Tahoe on Centre Street near Chambers Street.
  • Police said the bike had a 960-watt motor and could reach 30 mph, exceeding New York State's 750-watt limit and the city's 25-mph cap for e-mobility devices.
  • His sister said Nacato was heading to Chinatown to get help with summer job applications; the 11th-grader died at the scene, and his family plans to send his body back to Ecuador.
  • The 40-year-old Tahoe driver stayed at the scene and was not immediately charged, while the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad continues to investigate.
  • The death has renewed pressure on New York officials to stop sales of illegal high-speed e-bikes, months after a May 28 Queensboro Bridge crash killed two riders.

Insights

Could a redesigned intersection and strict helmet laws have saved this 17-year-old's life against an illegal 30-mph e-moto?
How did a Brooklyn teen easily purchase a high-speed e-bike that functions as an illegal motorcycle?
Will New York finally hold online retailers accountable for secretly teaching buyers how to bypass e-bike speed limits?