Helayne Seidman
A teen broke her teeth and jaw when the brakes on her Citi Bike allegedly went out, causing her to slam into a subway station entrance railing in Brooklyn, she said in a $15 million lawsuit.
Akera Williams, of Trinidad, was riding along Eastern Parkway on the approach to Nostrand Avenue in Crown Heights on Aug. 15 when she was hurt.
The evening started innocently enough.
Akera, 16, and her mom, Kiara Williams, were with a family friend who rented the bikes for a group ride that started with a trip from the bike-sharing hub at Eastern Parkway and Ralph Avenue to the nearby Brooklyn Museum around 10:10 p.m., the family said in court papers.
On the return trip about a half-hour later, Akera tried to slow down the steep stretch of Eastern Parkway as it approaches Nostrand Ave, and when the brakes failed, she tried to use her feet, according to the Brooklyn Federal Court filing.
“Careening out of control, the bike and Miss Williams slammed into the railing” instead, according to the legal filing.
The family is suing Citi Bike, Lyft Bikes and Scooters LLC, which operates the Citi Bike system, for negligence.
Their attorney did not return messages.
Citi Bike and Lyft did not immediately return messages.
In Dec. 2020, the Post reported on a lawsuit where six people claimed they were injured a year earlier after being thrown off the Citi Bikes when the brakes locked.