Family, friends remember cyclist killed by driver fleeing police

Family, friends and locals gathered in Astoria on Tuesday to remember Amanda Servedio, a woman who was killed while riding her bike last week. Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Friends and family remembered her as a force, someone full of life and eager to set out on her bike and make new friends.

Amanda Servedio was a 36-year-old Astoria native and an avid cyclist. She had plans to get more involved in a group for cyclists, known as Bike & Brew, after an injury she sustained while cycling on the narrow Queensboro Bridge had kept her away from the group for some time.

But Servedio’s plans were cut short last week, when she was killed while riding her bike home from a Bike & Brew meetup. She died after a driver, who was on the run from police, struck her in Astoria last Tuesday night.

A week later, Servedio was remembered by friends and family during a vigil on the corner where she died, and over 100 fellow cyclists biked Astoria’s streets in her honor.

“I think Amanda brought us together in life to encourage us to be better, to do more,” said Joe Jankosky, Servedio’s partner. “Whether it was to ride the extra mile, to be a little more friendly, or to make the burdens of work and life a little more bearable, even in death, she brings us together to be better, to do more.”

Manuel and Carl, two friends Servedio met through Bikes & Brew, remembered her ability to organize people into group chats and new rides, as well as her big personality.

“She was an organizer, she connected people, brought them together and made things happen,” Carl said. “I wouldn't have done all of these things without Amanda's encouragement.”

Manuel recalled his last ride with Amanda, and her excitement after having returned from her injury and busy few weeks at work as a certified public accountant.

“We didn't know each other for that long, but her impact on my life will last forever,” he said.

After the vigil and the placement of a ghost bike, more than a hundred cyclists picked up where Servedio left off, and rode the rest of the way to her home just a few blocks away before meeting at a nearby bar.

Riders wore bibs that said, “It could have been me.”

“A long time ago, somebody told me that you're never alone when you're on your bicycle,” said Transportation Alternatives organizer Laura Shepard. “Just looking out at all of you. I really feel this right now.”

It was not the first time in recent months that a vigil has been held for a New Yorker killed while riding their bike.

So far this year, 19 New Yorkers have died while cycling, five of which were in Queens.

“We've done vigils, we've done memorial rides, we've gone to our community boards, to our elected officials…and we've demanded change, because this shouldn't happen,” Shepard said. “We know that there are things that we can do so that no family, no community, feels this grief ever again.”

While family and friends remembered Servedio, Astoria’s elected officials also recognized the way she died, which was repeatedly called “preventable.”

Officials, including Councilmember Tiffany Cabán and Assemblymember and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, highlighted the dangers of police chases, which are against NYPD policy.

“The only fault that lies in this moment is at the hands of this city, because this was not an accident,” said Mamdani. “This is a natural outcome when you pursue policies like high-speed chases, when you ensure that New Yorkers lose their lives because you're prioritizing property over people, because there is no amount of stolen goods the police could have stopped and found in that car that would have ever made it worthwhile to take Amanda's life.”

More than a hundred cyclists did a “memorial ride” for Amanda Servedio, who was killed by a driver who was fleeing a police chase last week.  Eagle photo by Ryan Schwach

This year alone, police chases have indirectly resulted in the deaths of five New Yorkers, including Servedio.

“It's gutting to recognize that if the NYPD had simply just done the bare minimum of following what is laid out in the patrol guide, Amanda would still be here with us today,” said Cabán. “The heartbreaking, infuriating and unacceptable truth is that each and every day, our communities endure the pain of traffic violence, preventable traffic violence.”

The NYPD’s Patrol Guide specifically says that pursuits “must be terminated when the danger to the public outweighs the benefits of apprehending the perpetrator.”

According to reports, the police pursuit began after a report of a burglary on Crescent Street in Astoria. Police encountered a black Dodge Ram pickup truck and attempted to speak to its occupants, who instead sped off and hit two other police cars.

Police pursued, and the driver turned a corner, striking Servedio at a high speed. The driver did not stop after hitting the woman.

The NYPD said that the license plate on the vehicle has more than 90 violations, including school zone and red light tickets dating back two years.

The driver and suspected burglar who killed Servedio has yet to be caught.