2007.12.06: December 6, 2007: Headlines: Obituaries: New York Daily News: Obituary for RPCV David William Smith
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2007.12.06: December 6, 2007: Headlines: Obituaries: New York Daily News: Obituary for RPCV David William Smith
Obituary for RPCV David William Smith
Wednesday morning, cyclist David Smith fell victim to the very accident he always warned friends about. Smith, 63, was riding up the Sixth Ave. bike lane near 36th St. when the driver of a pickup truck unexpectedly opened the vehicle's door and sent the cyclist hurtling into the path of a box truck. "We biked together and he always said, 'Watch out for the doors,' and I guess that's what happened," Smith's partner of 36 years, John Moody, said in the couple's W. Ninth St. home. Smith, a recording engineer and former member of the Peace Corps, had an unusually early start at the Town Hall venue Wednesday because he was helping put on a holiday show for schoolkids.
Obituary for RPCV David William Smith
Bicyclist killed when car door opens, sending him into truck's path
BY TINA MOORE and CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS
Thursday, December 6th 2007, 4:00 AM
David Smith Roberts for News
David Smith
His nickname was "Lights" because he always put bike safety first.
But Wednesday morning, cyclist David Smith fell victim to the very accident he always warned friends about.
Smith, 63, was riding up the Sixth Ave. bike lane near 36th St. when the driver of a pickup truck unexpectedly opened the vehicle's door and sent the cyclist hurtling into the path of a box truck.
"We biked together and he always said, 'Watch out for the doors,' and I guess that's what happened," Smith's partner of 36 years, John Moody, said in the couple's W. Ninth St. home.
"He was very aware of bike safety and he was very careful. He had all sorts of lights on his bike. People used to call him 'Lights' when they saw him coming because he had so many on his bike."
Smith, a recording engineer and former member of the Peace Corps, had an unusually early start at the Town Hall venue Wednesday because he was helping put on a holiday show for schoolkids.
Moody, 81, packed him off with a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich for lunch, and the two planned to meet later in the day.
"We just said, 'Take care,'" Moody said.
"He was looking to come home early this afternoon after he finished the show; it was just a routine day."
Moody, a retired Episcopal priest, rushed to Bellevue Hospital after hearing about the accident, but Smith was already dead.
Witnesses said they saw Smith, who was not wearing a helmet, try to swerve out of the way of the open car door.
The driver of the car was issued summonses for blocking a bike lane, parking near a fire hydrant and opening a door unsafely into traffic.
Moody said he felt no anger toward the driver and would be making funeral arrangements with Smith's son Christopher Nalla, an artist who lives in Brooklyn.
"He was an absolutely wonderful person," Moody said. "We just had sheer love and respect for each other."
tmoore@nydailynews.com
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Headlines: December, 2007; Obituaries
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Story Source: New York Daily News
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