Driver Arrested in Fatal Collision with Philanthropist on Riverside Drive
A man has been arrested and charged in connection with the December 2025 death of a celebrated philanthropist while he was cycling.
Police have arrested Lesnier Ortega Varona, 38, in connection with the fatal Dec. 7, 2025, collision that killed Upper West Side resident Geoffrey Radbill, 78, as Radbill cycled through Washington Heights. Varona was apprehended at his Bronx home on Wednesday.
Varona, who has no prior arrests, faces charges of failure to yield to a pedestrian and was released with a desk appearance ticket, authorities said. Investigators determined that Varona's actions contributed to the incident.
The crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Riverside Drive near West 158th Street. Radbill was riding his bicycle northbound when Varona, driving a silver 2021 Toyota sedan, struck him from behind, according to police. Radbill sustained severe injuries and was transported to Harlem Hospital, where he later died.
Varona remained at the scene following the collision and was not immediately charged. However, subsequent investigation led authorities to seek his arrest.
Radbill was widely recognized for his significant contributions to Bowling Green State University, his alma mater. A member of the class of 1968, he served on the university's Board of Trustees and its Foundation Board of Directors. The Geoffrey H. Radbill Center for College and Life Design at the university bears his name.
Rodney K. Rogers, president of Bowling Green State University, stated in December that Radbill's support provided thousands of students with life-changing opportunities through the Life Design program. "His legacy will forever shape our University and the lives of future Falcons," Rogers said in a post on X. He also remembered Radbill as a friend and valued advisor.
Radbill was a successful financier who retired in 2004 from AXA-Equitable, where he had worked for 36 years, rising to the position of senior vice president and chief operating officer of retail distribution. He also contributed to fundraising and client service consulting for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.