Cops nab driver accused of fatally striking celebrated philanthropist

A driver accused of fatally striking a celebrated 78-year-old philanthropist as he biked on Manhattan’s scenic Riverside Drive back in December was arrested this week, cops said. Lesnier Ortega Varona, 38, was picked up by the NYPD at his Bronx home Wednesday in connection to the Dec.7, 2025 crash that killed Upper West Side resident Geoffrey Radbill, who was biking through Washington Heights, cops and sources said. Verona, who has no previous arrests, was charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and released with a desk appearance ticket, police said. Radbill was pedaling north on Riverside Drive near West 158th Street around 9:30 a.m.

when Varona, driving a silver 2021 Toyota sedan, hit him from behind, cops said. The senior suffered serious injuries and was taken to Harlem Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said. Varona stayed on the scene after the deadly crash and was not immediately charged, cops said. But investigators later found criminality on his part and sought to arrest him, the sources said. Radbill was celebrated for his generosity to Bowling Green State University, his alma mater. He was a member of the class of 1968 who formerly served on the Board of Trustees and the Foundation Board of Directors, and the campus’ Geoffrey H.Radbill Center for College and Life Design was named in his honor. “Because of Geoff’s support and belief in the power of a Bowling Green experience, thousands of students have gained life-changing opportunities through Life Design,” university President Rodney K.

Rogers posted on X in December.“His legacy will forever shape our University and the lives of future Falcons.”“On a personal level, Geoff was a friend, and I will miss his counsel, advice and ideas – he was always up for a call to dream big,” Rogers said.“Geoff embodied the very spirit of his alma mater: He was hard-working, with a distinctive grit and an ability to see possibility that knew no limits.

He was hum...