Police ID Cyclist In Fatal Central Park Crash Spurred By Off-Leash Dog

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Police have identified the 71-year-old cyclist who died in Central Park after swerving to avoid an off-leash dog as Upper West Sider Douglas Adams, New York City Police Department officials said Wednesday.

Adams, who lived on West 89th Street, was biking on East Drive near 84th Street at around 8:25 a.m. when he swerved to avoid an off-leash dog and fell from his bicycle, the Central Park Conservancy said.

The New York Police Department said that Adams hit his head in the fall and was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The dog was uninjured, police said.

The cyclist was wearing a helmet, and the owner of the dog began CPR on the man, police sources told Patch. The bike was non-motorized.

According to the park's officials, dogs are required to be on-leash on the Central Park Drives at all times.

"More than 40 million people share this magnificent 843-acre gift of green space each year," Central Park Conservancy's spokesperson said. "Every single one of us must accept the responsibility to keep it safe and welcoming for one another. Leash your dog, observe speed limits, and follow the rules of the Park."

The crash is the second fatality in the area in the past two weeks. On Sept. 23, a pedestrian was hit by a cyclist on East Drive near 84th Street, and he died several days later.

No arrests have been made, and the investigation is underway, police said.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.