Woodhaven Boulevard near 67th Drive (Google Maps)
July 28, 2020 By Allie Griffin
A 32-year-old Brooklyn man died when he lost control of a Revel scooter in Rego Park early Tuesday morning.
Jeremy Malave, of Cypress Hills, was driving one of the rental scooters northbound on Woodhaven Boulevard near 67th Drive around 3:15 a.m. when he ran into a light pole in the center median, police said.
Responding officers found Malave lying on the roadway with severe head trauma. He was rushed to North Shore Forest Hills Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
Malave is reportedly the second person to die on a Revel scooter in New York City.
Just 10 days ago, a local city reporter Nina Kapur was killed in a crash involving a Revel moped in Greenpoint. She was a passenger on one of the scooters driven by a 26-year-old man when the driver swerved, causing both to be thrown from the vehicle, police said.
Kapur, 26, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, but didn’t survive.
Two other incidents involving the rental scooters left riders critically injured in recent weeks.
Less than 24 hours before Kapur’s fatal crash, a 38-year-old man was left in critical condition after driving a Revel scooter in Astoria. It’s unclear if he tumbled from the scooter or was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle, according to a report.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, a 30-year-old Revel driver crashed into a pole in upper Manhattan, leaving him in critical condition with a head injury and his 32-year-old male passenger with an ankle injury.
After the news of today’s fatality, Revel announced it would shut down its service in New York City until further notice.
“We’re reviewing and strengthening our rider accountability and safety measures and communicating with city officials, and we look forward to serving you again in the near future,” the company posted on Twitter.
