UPDATE, with details of the second death Today’s closing announcement of the New York City Revel scooter ride program came hours after the Revel scooter’s second death this month. New York police say a 32-year-old Brooklyn man died after crashing a Revel scooter into a light pole on a Queens highway around 3:15 a.m. today.
Police identified Revel’s late driver as Jeremy Malave, saying he was unable to properly navigate the road and hit a central light pole in the median of Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens.
Revel, a moped-rental ridesharing company that became increasingly popular in the pandemic’s last few months when New Yorkers abandoned subway use, drew unwanted attention with the July 18 accident death of a journalist local CBS. The company announced today that it will close indefinitely.
Related story
New York CBS reporter Nina Kapur dies in moped crash at “Heartbroken” station
In a tweet this morning, Revel wrote: “New York customers: Starting today, the New York service will be closed until further notice. We are reviewing and strengthening our liability and safety measures for drivers and communicating with city officials, and we look forward to serving you again in the near future. ”
The closure prompted the endorsement of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who tweeted: “Transportation alternatives are important, but safety on our streets is paramount. We spoke to Revel this morning and they are closing until we can find a way to make shared mopeds safe. ”
Nina Kapur / Twitter
Earlier this month, CBS2 reporter Nina Kapur, 26, died in Brooklyn after falling off a Revel scooter driven by a friend. The July 18 incident was the most striking of the recent accidents, injuries, and lawsuits involving the company, which rented mopeds for a registration fee of $ 5 and 35 cents per minute to anyone with a driver’s license.
Before Kapur’s death, Revel had sent emails to customers in New York warning cyclists to obey the rules (helmets, no sidewalks or bike lanes) and that more than 1,000 users had recently been suspended for breaking the rules. .
Revel scooters, which can reach speeds of 30 mph, have become increasingly popular in Brooklyn and Queens in the months since COVID-19 hit New York. With the passenger crater on the subway, the Revels had taken a more visible place alongside Citi Bike rental bikes on city streets.
