Almost got taken out by a car in Brooklyn. Please stay safe out there.
24M, NYC cyclist here. I was riding down Central Ave in Brooklyn going around 12–16mph, straight with the flow of traffic. Everything felt normal. No speeding, no weaving, just riding like I always do to work out.
Out of nowhere, a car that was next to me made a sudden left turn onto Palmetto Ave with no blinker, no hesitation, and no checking for me at all. No yield. Nothing.
I tried to brake and turn away, but there was no time. The car clipped the side of my bike and the impact slammed my front sprocket into the frame. My front sprocket is bent badly and my aluminum frame is likely bent too. I’m honestly devastated because it’s a $1,400 bike (GT Grade Elite, aluminum frame + carbon fork) and in my head it feels totaled.
The hit launched me off the bike about 6 feet forward and I slid another 6 feet on my side. I got up purely off adrenaline. The wind was completely knocked out of me and I just stood there holding my head trying to catch my breath, in shock, not even knowing what to do first. I’ve broken both my elbows in the past from biking accidents so my first thought was “great, I’m broken again.”
Luckily, the driver actually stopped. He gave me his insurance and license plate (not his license). He seemed genuinely sorry. I told him straight up he turned left without any signal or warning and that I would’ve stopped if I had known, and he didn’t deny it.
We ended up making a “gentleman’s agreement” to meet at my local bike shop to assess the damage and he would cover the cost. I was skeptical, but he followed through.
The bike shop told me the front sprocket needs replacement, plus tuning and labor. They said they can inspect the frame more deeply (even sanding paint if needed). They put weight on the pedals and didn’t hear cracking, but still… aluminum doesn’t exactly “bounce back,” so I’m worried.
Physically, I somehow walked away, but I’m definitely hurt. My ribs/chest are sore, my waist is bruised, and my elbow is scraped up. My abdomen has felt tender too, so I’ve been monitoring myself closely for the next few days just in case there’s something internal going on.
The crazy part is I ride 100+ miles a week in NYC and I’ve had close calls, but I never expected it to happen like this. It really shook me. Later that night when the adrenaline wore off, I broke down crying because I realized how easily this could’ve been worse. I could’ve been killed, or had my leg crushed under the car.
My girlfriend, mom, brother, sister — everyone was terrified. They literally left work to make sure I was okay.
I love cycling. It’s my peace and my escape, and I still want to ride, but this crash honestly put a new level of fear in me about trusting drivers again.
I just wanted to share this because no matter how skilled you are, how many miles you ride, or how confident you feel in traffic… all it takes is one driver not paying attention to completely change your life.
Stay safe out there.