Israeli Tennis Star Is First Killed On Citi Bike
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Dan Friedman June 13, 2017
Dan Hanegby, Israel’s former No. 1 tennis player, became the first fatal victim of a bicycle accident using New York’s Citi Bike program.
Hanegby, 36, lived in Brooklyn with his young family, and worked as an investment banker for Credit Suisse.
The accident happened during the early morning commute in the Chelsea neighborhood. The New York Times quotes police saying that Hanegby “swerved to go around a parked van, struck a bus next to him that was traveling in the same direction, tumbled off the bicycle and fell under the bus’s rear tires.” Hanegby suffered severe trauma and was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital Center.
Hanegby, who came over to the United States to improve his tennis after serving in the IDF Special Forces, had been Israel’s top player until he began his compulsory national service. He first moved to Binghamton and then to Brown University where he advanced to become the 66th ranked player in America.
While at Brown he was the subject of a fond profile, headlined: “‘Old man’ Hanegby ’07 gets his drive, discipline from stint in Israeli army”. Sadly, this tragic accident has prevented the young father from living up to his college moniker.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
