A 46-year-old man riding an electric scooter was killed when he hit a pothole on a bustling Queens street, police said Tuesday.
The victim was riding his stand-up scooter under the elevated subway tracks on Liberty Ave. in Richmond Hill when he hit the pothole near 109th St. about 9:30 p.m. Monday, cops said.
The man went flying off the scooter and hit his head on the asphalt, dying at the scene, cops said. His name was not immediately released.
After the crash, emergency crews were dispatched to repair that section of Liberty Ave., city officials said.
The city has been plagued with potholes formed during the massive back-to-back snowstorms and a record-breaking cold snap this year.
The constant expansion and contraction caused by extreme temperatures weaken the asphalt until it breaks apart as cars roll across it. High volumes of snowfall, salt, and use of tire chains all contribute to wear and tear on city roads, officials said.
City Department of Transportation spokesman Vincent Barone called the crash “a terrible tragedy” and said crews are “working around the clock across the five boroughs to fill potholes and make emergency roadway repairs.”
The DOT had filled more than 10,000 potholes “just this last week alone,” Barone said.
More than 45,100 potholes have been filled so far this year, Transportation Department officials said, with efforts ramping up in the coming weeks as the weather gets warmer.