An elderly man died Monday afternoon after a head-on collision between his electric scooter and a cyclist in downtown Brooklyn. Thomas Bakas, 77, was riding his stand-up electric scooter in the bike lane on Schermerhorn Street near Smith Street around 2:20 p.m. when he collided with a cyclist traveling in the opposite direction.
Authorities reported that the cyclist had been riding outside the designated bike lane and attempted to re-enter it by maneuvering between two parked, unoccupied cars. Bakas was also attempting to pass at the same time, police said.
The impact threw both individuals from their vehicles. Neither Bakas nor the cyclist were wearing helmets at the time of the crash. Bakas, who lived nearby, was transported to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The cyclist remained at the scene and was not injured or arrested. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.