Family of Woman Killed by E-Bike Demand Answers From NYPD, Video of Suspect Released
On Monday, September 18, the NYPD released footage of a man they say ran over and killed 69 year-old Priscilla Loke in Chinatown earlier this month.
| 04 Oct 2023 | 02:56
A photo of an e-biker that police say struck and killed the Head Start teacher Priscilla Loke. Her family is demanding answers from the NYPD, after noting that the unidentified suspect was allowed to leave the scene after talking with cops. (
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As the e-biker that fatally ran over 69 year-old Priscilla Loke in Chinatown earlier this month remains at large, the NYPD released footage of the suspect on Monday, September 18. Loke was a beloved teacher who had worked with Chinatown Head Start for over thirty years and was months away from retiring, her family told reporters.
Cops said that Loke was standing near the crosswalk at Grand & Chrystie Sts. on September 5 when the bike hit her at around 10:25 a.m., causing her head to slam into the pavement. She reportedly succumbed to her injuries three days later at Bellevue Hospital. An initial surveillance video aired by ABC7 depicted the man getting off the bike, offering assistance to Loke, and eventually propping her against a barrier. He then seemed to alert a nearby officer to the accident before jumping on the bike and riding off again.
The additional surveillance video of the suspect now put out by the police seemingly saw the light of day after Loke’s family members–and other assembled Chinatown allies–wrote a letter to NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, also on September 18. In addition to the footage, the committee was seeking a police report on the incident, as well as a meeting with senior NYPD officials.
”A video shown on several mainstream TV channels captured the collision and the biker speaking with a police officer, then leaving the scene while Ms. Loke is on the ground with severe injuries to her head and spine. The family of Priscilla Loke and the community rely on first responders and those investigating this incident to take their duties seriously,” the letter reportedly read. It was signed by the newly-formed Committee to Protect Priscilla Loke.
Prominent signees included Chia-Wen Ho and Weng Wai Ho, her niece and nephew, who were notably close with their aunt.
Other signees included the executive director of Chinatown Head Start, the C.E.O. of the Chinatown Planning Council’s Chrystie Street School-Age Center, the president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, and the executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District.
Relatives also told PIX11 that they believed the scene should have been cordoned off immediately, and expressed confusion as to why the cops were unable to ID the biker.
Elizabeth OuYang, a civil rights attorney that had joined the committee, said at a press conference that Loke “went above and beyond” when it came to her duties as a Head Start teacher. She noted that Loke was also a fierce defender of Private Danny Chen, a U.S. Army member serving in Afghanistan that committed suicide after facing racist abuse by his fellow soldiers. According to OuYang, Loke traveled to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to witness the court-martial of Chen’s bullies.