A 50-year-old biker affiliated with a restaurant in Brooklyn was hospitalized in critical condition Monday after he was hit in the head by a branch that fell as a Parks Department contractor was pruning a tree as part of the agency's ongoing Sandy work, authorities say.
The man's bike sat on the ground, surrounded by "Thank you" delivery bags and brown paper packages after the accident around 1 p.m. near Coffey Park. A delivery menu for a restaurant called Lang Gi was on the ground nearby; the owner declined to speak with NBC 4 New York.
Authorities say the tree was being pruned by an outside contractor when the branch fell, hitting the man.
The worker is in critical condition at the hospital.
"Our thoughts are with the individual injured in this unfortunate accident," a spokeswoman for the Parks Department said in a statement. "NYC Parks is conducting a thorough investigation of this incident. There is no further immediate danger to the public."
Standard Parks Department safety protocols require maintaining a secure work zone with cones, caution tape and a worker on the ground to flag approaching pedestrians. It wasn't immediately clear if all those were in effect at the time of the accident.
The contractor hired to trim and prune the trees, identified as RML Construction, has no record of open complaints filed against it.
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New Yorkers should report damaged and fallen trees through the tree service request system on the Parks Department website or by calling 311.
