Who’s Injuring and Killing Pedestrians in AD 23?
She Voted No—Now Two More Dead on the Parkway
AD 23: Jan 1, 2022 - Jul 18, 2025
The Bodies on the Parkway
Just days ago, on July 5th, a BMW tore down the Belt Parkway. The driver lost control. The car hit the divider, vaulted the median, and slammed into oncoming traffic. Flames rose. Two young people died. Three more were thrown from the car, landing in the grass, dazed and broken. Police said, “No one in the BMW was wearing a seat belt” (NY Daily News). The crash closed the highway. The air stank of burning plastic and gasoline. Six people were hurt. Two never made it home.
A witness said, “They went airborne and into the barrier” (NY Daily News). The NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad is still counting the cost.
The Numbers Behind the Names
In the last twelve months, this district saw over 1,000 crashes. Three people died. Thirteen suffered injuries so severe they may never walk the same. 640 were hurt. The young are not spared: 60 children injured, none killed—this year. Cars and SUVs do most of the damage. Sedans and SUVs alone caused six deaths and 264 injuries to pedestrians in recent years (NYC Open Data).
Leadership: Votes and Silence
Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato had a choice. In June, she voted no on a bill to extend and fix New York City’s school speed zone laws—measures proven to protect children and slow the carnage (Open States). She stood with a small group against the city’s speed camera program, a tool that saves lives by catching repeat speeders (Streetsblog NYC).
She has backed some bills for safer street design. But when it mattered most, she voted to weaken bus lane rules and to exempt some from enforcement—moves that put people outside cars at risk.
The Next Step Is Yours
Every crash is preventable. Speed kills. Cameras save lives. The votes are public. The bodies are real. Call your Assembly Member. Demand a “yes” on every bill that protects children, pedestrians, and cyclists. Don’t wait for another name to be added to the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
▸ What is the New York State Assembly and how does it work?
▸ Where does AD 23 sit politically?
▸ Which areas are in AD 23?
▸ What types of vehicles caused injuries and deaths to pedestrians in AD 23?
▸ Are these crashes just accidents, or are they preventable?
▸ What can local politicians do to prevent traffic violence?
▸ What is CrashCount?
Citations
▸ Citations
- BMW Hits Divider, Six Hurt On Parkway, ABC7, Published 2025-07-05
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4677970 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-18
- BMW Crash Kills Two on Belt Parkway, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-07
- BMW Crash Hurls Passengers, Sparks Fire, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-09
- File S 8344, Open States, Published 2025-06-17
- Ye Shall Know Their Names! Meet the Dirty Dozen City Pols Who Voted Against Speed Camera Program, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-23
- BMW Vaults Median, Six Injured In Queens, New York Post, Published 2025-07-05
- Belt Parkway Crash Injures Six in Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-07-05
- Watchdog Group: No Congestion Pricing Toll Exemptions for Cops!, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-01-16
- Reporter’s Notebook: Where Were You The Day Congestion Pricing Died (Maybe)?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-06-06
- File A 1077, Open States, Published 2025-01-08
- File A 1280, Open States, Published 2023-01-13
Fix the Problem
District 23
159-53 102nd St., Howard Beach, NY 11414
Room 839, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248
Other Representatives
District 42
1199 Elton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11207
718-649-9495
250 Broadway, Suite 1774, New York, NY 10007
212-788-6957
District 10
142-01 Rockaway Blvd., South Ozone Park, NY 11436
Room 711, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247
▸ Other Geographies
AD 23 Assembly District 23 sits in Brooklyn, Precinct 69, District 42, SD 10.
It contains Ozone Park (North), Ozone Park, Howard Beach-Lindenwood, Spring Creek Park, Far Rockaway-Bayswater, Rockaway Beach-Arverne-Edgemere, Breezy Point-Belle Harbor-Rockaway Park-Broad Channel, Jamaica Bay (East), Jacob Riis Park-Fort Tilden-Breezy Point Tip, Queens CB10, Queens CB14, Queens CB84.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Assembly District 23
Jeep Strikes Elderly Pedestrian in Queens Intersection▸A Jeep hit a 64-year-old man in the crosswalk on Seagirt Boulevard. The impact was head-on. He died on the pavement as darkness fell. The SUV kept straight. The street stayed silent. No driver errors listed. The man never got up.
A 64-year-old man was killed when a Jeep SUV struck him head-on at the intersection of Seagirt Boulevard and Beach 31st Street in Queens. According to the police report, the man stepped into the intersection as the Jeep traveled east and hit him with its center front end. The pedestrian died at the scene. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The driver was licensed and wore a seatbelt. The only fatality was the pedestrian; no injuries were reported for the vehicle occupants. The crash underscores the lethal risk faced by people crossing New York City streets, even when no driver error is officially cited.
SUV Left Turn Slams E-Bike Rider in Queens▸A left-turning SUV hit a man on an e-bike on Pitkin Avenue. He flew from the saddle, head first. Blood pooled under the streetlamp. His skull was torn open. He lay conscious, gasping, as the driver sat unharmed.
A 33-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck by a left-turning SUV on Pitkin Avenue near Sutter Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, 'A left-turning SUV struck a 33-year-old man on an e-bike. He flew from the saddle, head first. No helmet. Blood pooled beneath the streetlamp. He lay conscious, gasping, his skull torn open.' The crash left the e-bike rider with severe head injuries and lacerations. The SUV driver, a 64-year-old woman, was not injured. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the report after the driver error.
Box Truck Strikes Elderly Man at Central Avenue Intersection▸A box truck hit a 73-year-old man at Central Avenue and Nameoke. He fell. Blood pooled. His breath faded. The truck rolled on, undamaged. The man died in the street. The system failed to protect him.
A 73-year-old pedestrian was killed when a northbound box truck struck him at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nameoke Avenue. According to the police report, 'A box truck moving north struck a 73-year-old man in the intersection. He fell, head bleeding, breath fading. The truck showed no damage. The man died where he lay.' The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian. The truck’s point of impact was the center front end, and the vehicle sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. No driver errors were specified in the data. The crash left one man dead and exposed the dangers faced by pedestrians at city intersections.
A Jeep hit a 64-year-old man in the crosswalk on Seagirt Boulevard. The impact was head-on. He died on the pavement as darkness fell. The SUV kept straight. The street stayed silent. No driver errors listed. The man never got up.
A 64-year-old man was killed when a Jeep SUV struck him head-on at the intersection of Seagirt Boulevard and Beach 31st Street in Queens. According to the police report, the man stepped into the intersection as the Jeep traveled east and hit him with its center front end. The pedestrian died at the scene. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The driver was licensed and wore a seatbelt. The only fatality was the pedestrian; no injuries were reported for the vehicle occupants. The crash underscores the lethal risk faced by people crossing New York City streets, even when no driver error is officially cited.
SUV Left Turn Slams E-Bike Rider in Queens▸A left-turning SUV hit a man on an e-bike on Pitkin Avenue. He flew from the saddle, head first. Blood pooled under the streetlamp. His skull was torn open. He lay conscious, gasping, as the driver sat unharmed.
A 33-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck by a left-turning SUV on Pitkin Avenue near Sutter Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, 'A left-turning SUV struck a 33-year-old man on an e-bike. He flew from the saddle, head first. No helmet. Blood pooled beneath the streetlamp. He lay conscious, gasping, his skull torn open.' The crash left the e-bike rider with severe head injuries and lacerations. The SUV driver, a 64-year-old woman, was not injured. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the report after the driver error.
Box Truck Strikes Elderly Man at Central Avenue Intersection▸A box truck hit a 73-year-old man at Central Avenue and Nameoke. He fell. Blood pooled. His breath faded. The truck rolled on, undamaged. The man died in the street. The system failed to protect him.
A 73-year-old pedestrian was killed when a northbound box truck struck him at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nameoke Avenue. According to the police report, 'A box truck moving north struck a 73-year-old man in the intersection. He fell, head bleeding, breath fading. The truck showed no damage. The man died where he lay.' The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian. The truck’s point of impact was the center front end, and the vehicle sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. No driver errors were specified in the data. The crash left one man dead and exposed the dangers faced by pedestrians at city intersections.
A left-turning SUV hit a man on an e-bike on Pitkin Avenue. He flew from the saddle, head first. Blood pooled under the streetlamp. His skull was torn open. He lay conscious, gasping, as the driver sat unharmed.
A 33-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck by a left-turning SUV on Pitkin Avenue near Sutter Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, 'A left-turning SUV struck a 33-year-old man on an e-bike. He flew from the saddle, head first. No helmet. Blood pooled beneath the streetlamp. He lay conscious, gasping, his skull torn open.' The crash left the e-bike rider with severe head injuries and lacerations. The SUV driver, a 64-year-old woman, was not injured. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the report after the driver error.
Box Truck Strikes Elderly Man at Central Avenue Intersection▸A box truck hit a 73-year-old man at Central Avenue and Nameoke. He fell. Blood pooled. His breath faded. The truck rolled on, undamaged. The man died in the street. The system failed to protect him.
A 73-year-old pedestrian was killed when a northbound box truck struck him at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nameoke Avenue. According to the police report, 'A box truck moving north struck a 73-year-old man in the intersection. He fell, head bleeding, breath fading. The truck showed no damage. The man died where he lay.' The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian. The truck’s point of impact was the center front end, and the vehicle sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. No driver errors were specified in the data. The crash left one man dead and exposed the dangers faced by pedestrians at city intersections.
A box truck hit a 73-year-old man at Central Avenue and Nameoke. He fell. Blood pooled. His breath faded. The truck rolled on, undamaged. The man died in the street. The system failed to protect him.
A 73-year-old pedestrian was killed when a northbound box truck struck him at the intersection of Central Avenue and Nameoke Avenue. According to the police report, 'A box truck moving north struck a 73-year-old man in the intersection. He fell, head bleeding, breath fading. The truck showed no damage. The man died where he lay.' The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian. The truck’s point of impact was the center front end, and the vehicle sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. No driver errors were specified in the data. The crash left one man dead and exposed the dangers faced by pedestrians at city intersections.