Cyclist whose 'speeding' crash killed CBS executive's wife calls the incident 'an unavoidable accident'

  • Jason Marshall, 31, has finally broken his silence about his bicycle accident with mother and wife Jill Tarlov
  • Miss Tarlov, who was left brain dead after being hit by Marshall last week, died earlier today
  • Marshall said he is 'utterly devastated' and called the incident 'an unavoidable accident'
  • Police are still investigating what happened, and Marshall has not been charged with any crime 

The cyclist whose collision with a Connecticut woman ultimately led to her death has finally broken his silence. 

Jason Marshall, 31, said in a statement released by his attorney just hours after the death of Jill Tarlov that he is 'utterly devastated' about what happened, calling the incident 'an unavoidable accident.'

He then added, 'I am deeply, deeply saddened about the accidental collision that I had with Ms. Jill Tarlov last week and her subsequent passing.'

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Jason Marshal, 31, is alleged to have been an avid user of Strava, the mobile phone app that allows cyclists to race against each other by recording times over certain distances

Breaking his silence: In a statement released this afternoon, Jason Marshall called his crash with Jill Tarlov 'an unavoidable accident'

Victim: Jill Tarlov, pictured, suffered severe head injuries during the crash last Friday and died in hospital on Monday. Marshall has said the collision was an 'unavoidable accident' 

Victim: Jill Tarlov, pictured, died earlier today her family announced

Gathering evidence: NYPD investigators canvas the scene of the crash in Central Park

Gathering evidence: NYPD investigators canvas the scene of the crash in Central Park

The Connecticut woman, was who left brain dead after being hit by the swerving cyclist last week, died on Monday her family announced.

Miss Tarlov, 59, of Fairfield was in New York City on Thursday to buy her daughter a gift, when she was hit by Marshall while walking through Central Park.

The mother of two was rushed to New York Presbyterian hospital where she was put on life support.

On Monday, her husband, CBS executive Mike Wittman, released a statement saying she passed. 

'My wife was beautiful in every way imaginable,' Mr Wittman wrote.

'Jill was the most amazing mother to Matthew and Anna, who taught them above all that kindness, compassion, and a spirit for life were the right morals to live by. Everyone who had ever met her was somehow made better by her company.

'Even though she has been taken from us far too soon, her spirit will live on forever. On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers, and request privacy during the difficult times ahead,' Mr Wittman said.

It's unclear whether her family took her off life support.

Legal rep: Thought not charged with any crime yet, Marshall (above) released his statement today through his lawyer

Legal rep: Thought not charged with any crime yet, Marshall (above) released his statement today through his lawyer

Collision course: Witnesses described how the cyclist riding an expensive high-performance bike allegedly made no attempt to stop in the moments before the crash

Collision course: Witnesses described how the cyclist riding an expensive high-performance bike allegedly made no attempt to stop in the moments before the crash

Tarlov also used to work at CBS, and the company issued a statement following her death, saying they would work to help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

'We are heartsick over the passing of our dear friend and former 1010 WINS Radio colleague Jill Tarlov,' Anton Guitano, chief operating officer of CBS Local Media and Peter Dunn, presiden tof CBS television, said in a joint statement.

'As we mourn the loss of our friend and console Mike and his family, we are committed to doing what we can to bring greater public awareness of the perils of unsafe and distracted driving by motorists and cyclists that endangers pedestrians. Far too many people have been killed or seriously injured on our streets,' the statement read.

Cyclist Marshall has so far, not been charged in the deadly collision.

Police say the Harlem saxophonist was riding in the park's bike lane when he swerved to avoid other pedestrians and hit Tarlov.

Phillip Fenton, 21, who allegedly witnessed the accident, told the New York Post: 'It didn't look like he tried to stop.'

Another witness, Tom Longman, told the newspaper 'The right side of [Tarlov's] face looked really bad. There was blood all over her.'

Marshall remained at the scene and suffered minor injuries.

According to the New York Daily News, an online training log shows that Marshall had logged speeds above the 25 miles per hour limit.

Cyclists are also supposed to slow down at crosswalks and yield to pedestrian, the Parks Department website says.

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