A 29-year-old motorcyclist died in a crash on Manhattan’s Henry Hudson Parkway — just days after buying a new bike to replace one that was stolen.
The day before Pablo Polanco crashed his 2019 Yamaha motorcycle, he proudly updated his Facebook profile picture to an image of a motorcycle, with a helmet placed on the backseat.
Polanco was heading north on the Parkway on his way to meet up with his friend Elisa Quezata when he lost control and struck the center median about 4 p.m. Thursday, cops said.
“We were gonna hang out. Death wasn’t even an option for me in my head. I’m just like waiting in the park,” said Quezata, 19. “I ring his doorbell, I call him, no answer. I call again a couple hours later, no response … I call the mom. She answers the phone, she says the news.”
Polanco was wearing his helmet when he crashed but died at the scene from severe head trauma, police said.
“He loved those bikes,” Quezata said. “He had gotten a new bike two weeks ago and it got stolen. Like a week ago today, he got a new bike, which is the one he passed away on.”
“He really was a good person. I miss him. I’m just so lost at the words. This is really hard. Because I loved him. I really do love him,” Quezata added.
Courtesy of Elisa Quezata
Pablo Polcano. (Courtesy of Elisa Quezata)
Polanco had multiple jobs, working as a manager for a skating rink and a security guard and used his motorcycle to get around the city.
“He was super cautious,” Quezata said. “He was always protected: gloves, helmet, the leather … Bikes are super, super dangerous.”
A neighbor in Polanco’s building warned the victim to be safe.
“About eight years ago, I had a motorcycle accident,” said the neighbor, Jason Marrero, 56. “I would have died if I didn’t have a helmet. I literally told him my story. I was like, ‘I used to ride, and I completely stopped riding.’”
The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is investigating the crash.
Polanco moved into an apartment in the Inwood section of Manhattan about six months ago.
Marrero believes that when Polanco’s original motorcycle was stolen, it was a bad sign.
“it was an omen,” Marrero said. “You lose a bike and then a week later, this happens after buying another bike.”