Kelly Killian, pictured, was fatally struck by an e-bike in Astoria Friday (Photo Courtesy of Chris Killian)
June 1, 2021 By Christina Santucci
A 54-year-old real estate agent named Kelly Killian was struck and killed by an e-bike in Astoria Friday night – around the corner from where she lived.
Police said they received a 911 call just after 8:30 p.m., and when emergency responders arrived at 31st Street and 21st Avenue, they found the injured woman lying in the road.
Killian had suffered severe trauma to her head. Medics brought her to Elmhurst Hospital, where she was initially listed in critical condition, the NYPD said.
She later died from her injuries, her family said.
An initial investigation by the NYPD Highway Unit’s Collision Investigation Squad found that a 26-year-old man on an e-bike had been headed east on 21st Avenue and struck Killian, who had been walking in the crosswalk.
Her brother, Chris Killian, said his sister had been en route to get dinner with a friend at the time.
The e-bike driver – who the NY Daily News reported was a delivery worker – stayed at the scene and had not been charged as of Tuesday, police said.
Killian’s family said that they are awaiting the results of the NYPD’s final investigation but do not blame the e-bike driver.
“It clearly was an accident. I’m sure the guy feels terrible,” Chris Killian told the Queens Post. “It’s not something that I would want to live with myself.”
Since her death, he has discovered that Killian had made many friends throughout her life.
“There are all of these people everywhere that loved her. She was a really nice person who was outgoing and energetic,” he said.
Killian grew up in Delaware. After college she lived in Panama, Puerto Rico and Florida before moving to Astoria about 10 years ago.
She was the cool aunt to Chris Killian’s three children – planning adventures and taking the kids for dumplings when they visited the city.
The intersection of 31st Street and 21st Avenue where Killian was fatally struck (Photo: Christina Santucci)
Killian loved animals, and her family has since arranged for a friend to take in the two kittens she had adopted during the pandemic. “That would be super important to her,” Chris Killian said.
She was also a strong believer in organ donation – a conviction that she developed following the death of her and Chris Killian’s father. “She gave what she could,” her brother said.
Killian’s bio page on the real estate site, Zillow, described how she became a full-time residential real estate agent in 2008 following a 13-year career in international marketing.
She had worked as a packaged goods marketer for Procter and Gamble and PepsiCo, according to her biography on the real estate site, R New York.
Killian also opened her own brokerage, Kelly NYC, in 2013.
On the Zillow page, she had received more than 30 glowing reviews from past clients who praised her dedication, determination and professionalism.
“Kelly Killian is a joy and a gem. She is knowledgeable, funny, intelligent and clear,” one person posted.
Another former client wrote, “If I had to use one word to describe Kelly, it would be INCREDIBLE.”
Chris Killian said his sister had stayed friends with some of her clients – long after the real estate deals had finished.
“That’s the kind of person she was,” he said.
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One Comment
There is not much information about how this tragic death happened. Was the e-bike rider speeding? Did he run the light? Or did he make a bad judgement when he turned? Was the woman jaywalking?
Despite all these omissions, it’s abundantly clear that e-bikes are capable of killing people and by the incomplete details of this post, they are unsafe at any speed. These need to be licensed and registered like any other motorcycle, because that’s what they essentially are.