An elderly cyclist was killed by a hit-and-run-driver while riding in a bike lane near Times Square on Monday, police said.

The 72-year-old cyclist was traveling northbound on Eighth Avenue near 45th Street when he was struck by the driver just before 6 a.m., according to a preliminary investigation. The driver fled, leaving the man badly injured at the scene. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Department of Transportation has designated the Eighth Avenue bike lane as "protected," save for a gap between 39th Street and 42nd Street. But a variety of barriers are used to separate the lane from traffic, including plastic posts in some places. While the lane between 44th and 45th Street is parking-protected, it merges with traffic near the intersection.

The victim's identity has not yet been released. The search for the hit-and-run driver is ongoing, police said.

The man's death represents the second cyclist fatality in just three days, after 62-year-old Susan Moses succumbed to injuries suffered in an earlier crash on Saturday. According to police, Moses was riding south on Kings Highway near Van Sicklen Street when she was struck by an SUV on January 26th. The driver remained on the scene, and no arrests were made.



