Pedestrian Critically Injured In Accident With Cyclist In Central Park

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A pedestrian was left in critical condition Thursday after being struck by a cyclist in Central Park, officials said.

The accident happened shortly before 4:30 p.m. on West Drive in Central Park, near 62nd Street, officials told CBS 2.

The pedestrian, a woman in her 50s, was hospitalized in critical condition at NewYork Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center. The woman was from Connecticut, police sources told CBS 2.

The bicyclist was hospitalized with minor injuries at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital, officials said.

The 31-year-old cyclist remained at the scene, police sources said. There were no charges or tickets issued.

Police called it an accident, but as CBS 2's Jessica Schneider explained, people in the park say it's a problem spot.

"There's a lot of traffic. A lot of people. It's Central Park so you have to be careful," bicyclist Chris Wershoven said.

It remains unclear how the woman was hit or who was at fault, but cyclists and pedestrians agreed that it can be a dangerous spot.

"There's a lot of people doing everything around here. I see cyclists going the wrong way down the lane. It's not one-sided, but no one is paying attention to where they want to be, and there's people going fast, and people get hit," cyclist Phil Sturgeon said.

Cops from the Central Park precinct have been warning cyclists lately to slow down.

"I've seen quite a few who are very fast and probably reckless is the correct word," Joydeep Ghosh said.

On Thursday, everyone in the area was warned to be on alert.

"Yeah, I'm just careful. I make sure I look both ways before crossing," Marisa Brickman said.

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