By Gus Saltonstall
A New York Police Department officer was hospitalized after getting struck by a moped driven by an unknown person Thursday on the Upper West Side, a police spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag.
Police responded to a 911 call about 2:15 p.m. at West 83rd Street and Riverside Drive to find a male officer with injuries to his ankle who had been hit by a person driving a moped, NYPD said.
The injured officer was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition, police said.
The NYPD spokesperson did not have any information on how the officer was hit, but did confirm that there have been no arrests and an investigation was ongoing.
Officers at the scene were speaking to men with mopeds, but a witness told the Rag that they were not the ones who had hit the officer.
The Rag will update this story with any new information.
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Maybe NOW police will become involved in stoping these dangerous unregulated two wheel vehicles .
Apycds did you consider that just might be what the Police Officer was doing, making a stop to enforce the law?
I was JUST about to make the identical comment. Thank you. The moped and bike riders who never observe traffic laws at ALL are dangerous and I am frightened every time I have to cross the street. Careless people, in a heartless hurry, impact and threaten our lives.
Maybe now the NYPD will start policing these moped drivers??
NOW are they going to start enforcing traffic laws and moving violations????
Not a surprise. Will Gale Brewer and Sean Abreu join the push to regulate e-vehicles?
The vast vast majority of mopeds are gas powered, so why call them e-vehicles?
Mopeds (and their drivers) are already regulated.
They are NOT regulated if they are electric. That’s the point. They do not carry license plates. Where have you been for the past three years?
And non of the regulations are enforced, because the NYPD calls the scooters’ drivers infractions “quality of life” issues.
Not enforced though, are they?
And Brewer doesn’t think it’s a problem. Disgraceful and shameful. Who does she represent?
Mopeds are already regulated.
Lol, by who? No one, is the answer. They’re generally un-plated and therefore unregulated. Cops can do very little about un-plated mopeds, whether gas powered or battery powered, whether under 49cc or not. And e-bikes are generally just as fast and, while less heavy, still capable of seriously hurting someone.
Can we please stop with the “but but but” and just all agree that these people are an absolute menace?
Or would you prefer you yourself, your partner, friends, or pets get hurt or killed before you admit that thousands of unregulated vehicles on the roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes are an incredibly bad and dangerous idea?
Brian, they are still regulated even if they have no plates. They are required to have plates and are breaking the law without them. And they can do a lot about riders with no plates. They can confiscate the vehicle, ticket the rider for no plates and/or license, and depending on the moped, not having insurance. But they have to pull them over first.
Who needs to wait? What are you talking about? It doesn’t sound like you live in the hood. For example, a few of my neighbors, over 80 but spry and lively with happy engaged lives, have been hit, and spent months in rehab and suffered related disruptions in their health.
Laws that are not enforced may as well not exist. See: shoplifting.
So now the NYPD is being injured by unregulated hit and run e-vehicles and mopeds. But regulating e-vehicles or enforcing laws on the books seems to be a bridge too far for our city and Upper West Side pols or law enforcement! Pedestrians walk at their own peril and suffer injuries and even death. Only one organization is standing up for safety which is the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance! Trying to license and register e-vehicles so that they understand there’s accountability instead of a hit and run free for all. nyc_evsa@outlook.com
Where is the concern for the Officer? The Officer who was out there on the pointy end of sword, protecting YOU? Commenters have used this time to express their resentment towards the NYPD. The Officer, who is still in surgery, was fighting for you. The comments are, maybe now the NYPD will do its job. The job of the NYPD has become increasingly impossible due to the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other laws and policies enacted by the city council and its Cop hating member’s. The person who assaulted this officer will be caught and if he is in the Country illegal will most likely not face felony charges because “It may have negative consequences to his immigration status”. You want a safer city? Supporting your Police Department is a start.
How do you know what the officer was doing, as it is not detailed in the story? Maybe he was off duty? We don’t know.
Well said OPOD!
Join EVSA NYC! They’re holding a press conference at City Hall in support of City Council Member Bob Holden’s bill, which sets forth regulations on e-vehicle registration, licensing, etc. Time to reign in the rampant e-vehicle problem. Presser is at noon on Wednesday, December 6th. Be there and spread the word! And, as always, contact your city and state representatives and demand action!
And now, just maybe, they’ll license these electric vehicles that threaten us all, often unintentionally,, but everyone going every which -way all over town on streets and sidewalks, not to mention in parks, makes of us so much more on edge. Sometimes it seems nothing in the City is under control
Almost every one of the residential buildings on RSD has exterior surveillance cameras; one would hope they will provide a clue as to the driver and his/her employer, if any. I am very, very sorry for the officer’s injuries and wish a speedy recovery. Bear in mind that the officer is most likely a younger person who will hopefully shortly recover. An elderly resident struck by a moped could easily have been killed. Naturally of course, Gale Brewer will do nothing.
Their employer is grubhub, uber eats, door dash and they are most likely using a rented account that isn’t in their name with no accountability whatsoever. And if they’re hired directly by a restaurant, they’re being paid under the table with no vetting and no recourse.
According to NYPD policy these are “quality of life” problems.
So unless they want to change the policy, this incident isn’t important, whether or not the cop was hospitalized.
Was the cop scrolling on his phone, not paying attention?
Why are the cops always doing something they’re not supposed to? I hope one responds in a timely fashion next time you need one.
These mopeds and also bikes have no respect for traffic lights or rules – now that one has injured a police officer, might they at last DO SOMETHING TO REIGN THEM IN!!!
Aha, I came here for the “maybe now they’ll start enforcing traffic regulations for all” comments, and I am NOT disappointed! Also, I fully agree, it feels like it gets crazier every day… just yesterday I had a guy on a silent ebike sneak up behind me on the 86 St. trail entrance to the reservoir–the one where all the dogs and kids play, and where the elderly folk come to sit on the bench and watch the dogs and the kids. How a dog didn’t get run down I still don’t know. And then a mom and her son zipped through in the other direction on a standing e-scooter, both cruising blithely by the “Dismount from any wheeled vehicle” sings at both entrances to the trail. I know it’s not sexy work, but just stand an officer there handing out fines
Not surprisingly, all the commenters up to now seem to have no qualms about drawing conclusions based on facts not in evidence. The articles says, “The NYPD spokesperson did not have any information on how the officer was hit.” We don’t know if the accident occurred on the sidewalk or the street; was it a deliveryman or someone else on the moped; was the driver obeying traffic laws or not; was the police officer jaywalking, paying attention, etc. etc.
Every bike motorized or not should have a license plate. Photos would then be able to identify riders. It would hold them accountable and modify this dangerous behavior.