The Family of Nick Meyer, who died on the Fourth of July after an e-bike accident June 20 in Olean publicly thanked the Olean Police Department on Friday for its thorough investigation of his accident.
Initial indications were that Nick was a hit and run victim. The family posted a $15,000 reward for information about the driver and questioned the investigation. They were concerned that police may have missed evidence showing the accident was not a hit and run.
Following Nick’s death in Erie County Medical Center on Saturday, July 4, the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office told Olean Police investigators that his injuries were consistent with an e-bike accident. The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department and New York State Plicoe aided in the investigation — including accident reconstruction.
There was no indication that the e-bike had been struck by a vehicle or that a vehicle had struck Nick.
Nick’s brother Luke Meyer posted a statement from the Meyer Family on Friday:
“Over the last several days, our family has been swept into a whirlwind of questions, emotions, accusations, and uncertainty surrounding the tragic death of our beloved brother, Nick. We have experienced every emotion imaginable” shock, the hurt, the anger, the confusion, and the overwhelming pain of losing someone we love so deeply.
“At the end of every question and every possibility, one heartbreaking reality remains: our brother is gone.
“Today, as we prepare to lay Nick to rest and honor the incredible life he lived, our family feels it is important to bring clarity, correct previous assumptions, and share the peace and closure we have received.
“First, we want to sincerely thank the Olean Police Department for taking the time to meet personally with our family and walk us step-by-step through their investigation. “They provided us with the available evidence, allowed us to carefully review extensive video footage, explained the timeline surrounding the accident, and gave us the opportunity to ask every question we had.
“After reviewing the evidence and hearing the findings of the investigation, our family believes that the Olean Police Department conducted a thorough investigation. Their willingness to provide this provided our much-needed answers and a measure of closure just hours before we lay our brother to rest.
“Based on the evidence presented to us, we now understand that Nick’s death was the result of a tragic accident and not a hit-and-run.
“The evidence indicates that Nick wrecked his E-bike while traveling at a high rate of speed and suffered fatal injuries in the resulting crash. After reviewing extensive video footage from both before and after the accident, we no longer believe that Nick was struck, run over, or crushed by another vehicle.
“Over the last several days, this community has rallied around our family in an incredible way. Friends, family members, local residents, and even complete strangers have shared posts, searched for answers, checked cameras, offered support, prayed for us, and stood beside us during one of the darkest moments our family has ever faced. We will never forget the love and compassion that have been shown to us.
“We also recognize that many people shared information because they loved Nick, cared about our family, and wanted justice based on what was understood at the time. Our family sought answers because we believed there were unanswered questions, and we are grateful those questions have now been addressed.
“We are releasing this statement so that the community can have the same clarity and peace of mind our family now carries as we enter Nick’s celebration of life.
“Today, we are choosing to lay down the questions and focus on laying our brother to rest with the honor, dignity, and celebration he deserves.
“Thank you to Sgt. Edwards and Capt. Blovsky . Thank you to every person who prayed, searched, shared, called, donated, brought food, offered condolences, or simply reminded us that we were not walking through this alone.
“As we say goodbye today, we do so with broken hearts but also with answers, clarity, and peace.
“Please continue to pray for our family in the difficult days ahead as we grieve the unimaginable loss of our beloved Nick,” the statement concluded.
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