Five Dead in a Year. Still Waiting for Action.

A fire truck turned onto Juniper Boulevard. The driver struck a man on a bicycle. He died at the scene. Police closed the street. Another life ended in the crosswalk’s shadow. The city investigates. The street stays dangerous.

ABC7 reported on April 20, 2025, that an FDNY truck struck and killed a bicyclist in Middle Village, Queens. The crash happened as the truck turned onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street. According to police, 'the truck was turning onto Juniper Boulevard from 80th Street in Middle Village when the collision occurred.' The cyclist, an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene. The NYPD is investigating. The incident highlights the risks faced by cyclists at intersections and the dangers of large vehicles turning across paths. Policy questions remain about intersection design and vehicle operation in dense neighborhoods.

• FDNY Truck Turns, Cyclist Killed In Queens, ABC7, Published 2025-04-20

A box truck turned right at Juniper Boulevard North and 80th Street, crushing a helmeted cyclist. The bike was demolished. The rider was ejected and killed by massive crush injuries. Six truck occupants survived. The driver was injured.

According to the police report, a box truck made a right turn at Juniper Boulevard North and 80th Street in Queens, striking a bicyclist. The report states the truck 'turned right and crushed a bicyclist.' The impact demolished the bicycle and ejected the cyclist, who died from crush injuries. Six people were inside the truck; all survived, though the driver was injured. The police report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor, indicating the truck driver failed to obey traffic signals or signs. The cyclist was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the primary cause cited is the truck driver's disregard for traffic control.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807280, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A fire truck turned onto Juniper Blvd North and struck a cyclist. The man died at the scene. No arrests. Police investigate. The street outside the park became a site of sudden, final impact.

According to NY Daily News (April 19, 2025), an FDNY fire truck fatally struck a cyclist at 80th St. and Juniper Blvd North in Middle Village, Queens. The article reports, "An FDNY fire truck was traveling north on 80th St. and was turning onto Juniper Blvd North just outside Juniper Valley Park when it collided with an unidentified man riding a bicycle." The cyclist died at the scene. Police have not made arrests. It is unclear if the truck was responding to an emergency. The NYPD Collision Investigation Squad is reviewing the case. The crash highlights the risk at intersections where large vehicles turn across paths used by cyclists. No information on traffic signals or right-of-way was provided.

• Cyclist Killed By FDNY Truck In Queens, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-19

A BMW and motorcycle collided on Woodhaven Boulevard. Both vehicles burned. The motorcyclist died at the scene. The BMW driver survived. No arrests. Police continue to investigate. The street bore the marks of violence and loss.

According to NY Daily News (published April 5, 2025), a BMW SUV and a motorcycle collided while traveling south on 60th Drive and Woodhaven Blvd. in Rego Park, Queens. The article reports, 'Both vehicles caught on fire, with only the car driver surviving the collision, police said.' Emergency services pronounced the motorcycle rider dead at the scene. The BMW driver was hospitalized in stable condition. No arrests have been made and police are still investigating. The crash highlights the lethal risks faced by vulnerable road users on major city corridors, underscoring ongoing dangers in street design and traffic enforcement.

• Motorcyclist Killed In Queens Collision Fire, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-05

A 58-year-old man on an e-bike slammed into a parked sedan on 80th Street. He flew from his seat, arm crushed against steel. Blood marked the door. The helmet offered no shield. The street stayed quiet, danger lingering.

According to the police report, a 58-year-old man riding an e-bike was traveling north on 80th Street near 67th Drive in Queens when he struck the left side doors of a parked sedan. The impact ejected the rider, who suffered crush injuries to his arm. The report states the contributing factor as 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The sedan was unoccupied and legally parked at the time of the crash. The e-bike rider was wearing a helmet, but the report notes that it did not prevent injury. The sequence of events underscores the persistent danger posed by inattentive operation, even in the absence of moving vehicles. The police report makes no mention of any errors or contributing behaviors by the injured e-bike rider beyond the cited inattention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4802165, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A bus swung left on Yellowstone. A sixteen-year-old girl crossed with the signal. The bumper tore her leg. Blood pooled on Burns Street. She stayed conscious. The driver, distracted, never saw her.

According to the police report, a bus making a left turn at the corner of Yellowstone Boulevard and Burns Street struck a sixteen-year-old pedestrian. The girl was crossing with the light when the right front bumper hit her leg, causing severe lacerations and significant bleeding. The report states, 'The driver never saw her.' The contributing factor listed is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The pedestrian's actions—crossing with the signal at the intersection—are noted, but the primary cause identified is the bus driver's failure to pay attention while turning. No vehicle damage was reported. The incident underscores the danger posed by inattentive driving, especially when large vehicles turn through crosswalks occupied by people with the right of way.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4800898, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 23-year-old cyclist lay still on Queens Boulevard, struck by a Ford and a Mercedes. His head hit hard. Two hoods crumpled. Eastbound traffic rolled on. Police cite drivers disregarding traffic control. Another life lost to steel and speed.

According to the police report, a 23-year-old male cyclist was killed on Queens Boulevard near 63rd Drive after being struck by both a Ford SUV and a Mercedes sedan. The crash occurred as the cyclist traveled north and the vehicles moved eastbound. The report states, 'A 23-year-old cyclist, no helmet, struck by a Ford and a Mercedes. His head hit. He died in the street. Two crumpled hoods. One still body. Eastbound traffic kept moving.' Police explicitly cite 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The cyclist suffered fatal head injuries. The report does not list any cyclist behavior as a contributing factor; the focus remains on the actions of the drivers and the systemic dangers present on Queens Boulevard.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4799953, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 19-year-old motorcyclist collided with a Ford’s front on Lefferts Boulevard near 84th Avenue. His arm bled through torn fabric. The bike’s rear folded in. Driver inexperience and following too closely left no time to stop.

A 19-year-old motorcycle driver was injured when he struck the front of a Ford vehicle on Lefferts Boulevard near 84th Avenue in Queens at 11:00 a.m., according to the police report. The report states the motorcyclist suffered severe bleeding to his arm and was conscious at the scene. The crash narrative describes the motorcycle’s rear folding in from the impact. Police cite 'Driver Inexperience' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors. The report also notes 'View Obstructed/Limited' as a factor. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, according to the police report. The collision’s point of impact was the motorcycle’s center back end and the Ford’s center front end. The data highlights driver error and systemic danger as central to this crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4786048, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 39-year-old man on a Suzuki motorcycle, helmeted but unlicensed, slammed into a turning KIA at Eliot Avenue and 69th Street. He flew from the wreck, landing headfirst. Crush injuries ended his life in the street.

A deadly crash unfolded at the corner of Eliot Avenue and 69th Street in Queens. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man, helmeted but unlicensed, was riding a Suzuki motorcycle southbound when he struck a KIA sedan making a left turn. The report states, 'He flew. Headfirst to pavement. Crush injuries. Death in the street.' The motorcyclist was ejected and suffered fatal head injuries. The KIA's right front quarter panel was damaged, indicating the point of impact during the left turn. The police report lists the motorcyclist as unlicensed but does not specify any driver errors or contributing factors beyond 'Unspecified.' The focus remains on the lethal outcome of the collision and the systemic dangers present at this intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4768223, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A motorscooter crashed into a sedan’s rear on Austin Street. The unlicensed rider, helmetless and exposed, suffered a crushed leg. Steel met flesh. The scooter’s front crumpled. He stayed awake, pain burning through the afternoon in Queens.

A violent collision unfolded on Austin Street near 67th Road in Queens, where a motorscooter struck the rear of a sedan, according to the police report. The report states the rider, a 30-year-old man, was unlicensed and wore no helmet or protective gear. The impact crushed his leg, leaving him conscious but in severe pain. The police report describes the scene: 'A motorscooter slammed into a sedan’s rear. The rider, unlicensed and unarmored, crushed his leg on impact. No helmet. Just flesh meeting steel.' The scooter’s front end folded from the force. The sedan sustained damage to its right rear bumper. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The focus remains on the systemic danger of unlicensed, unprotected operation and the unforgiving violence of car-dominated streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4757789, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Lawmakers say Hochul broke the law. They filed a brief. They argue the governor has no right to halt congestion pricing. The MTA Board, not Albany, holds the power. The pause sows confusion. Streets stay clogged. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

On August 23, 2024, a group of New York State legislators—Assembly Members Phil Steck and Andrew Hevesi, State Senator Julia Salazar, and former Assembly Member Dick Gottfried—filed a legal brief against Governor Hochul’s decision to pause congestion pricing. The matter, as described: “the legislature never gave her or any governor the power to do away with the traffic toll.” The brief cites the 2019 Traffic Mobility Act, arguing only the Traffic Mobility Review Board and the MTA can make such decisions. The lawmakers warn that letting the governor override the MTA would “make impossibly opaque the actual responsibility for MTA decisions.” Their action supports the MTA Board’s independence and opposes executive interference. No safety analyst has assessed the direct impact on vulnerable road users, but the legislators’ stance highlights the risk of political meddling in life-and-death street policy.

• State Legislators Say They Never Gave Hochul the Power to Pause Congestion Pricing, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-23

A taxi barreled into two stopped SUVs on Cooper Avenue. Steel crumpled. The taxi driver, trapped and silent, suffered a shattered shoulder. Traffic flowed past the wreck. The crash exposed deadly risks of tailgating in Queens.

According to the police report, at 14:10 on Cooper Avenue near 80th Street in Queens, a taxi traveling east struck two stationary SUVs stopped in traffic. The report cites 'Following Too Closely' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The taxi's center front end collided with the center back ends of the SUVs. The 48-year-old male taxi driver was trapped in his vehicle with crush injuries and a shattered shoulder, described as sitting silent behind the wheel. The police report does not list any victim behaviors as contributing factors. This crash highlights the dangers when drivers fail to maintain safe distances and remain attentive, resulting in severe injury and vehicle entrapment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4723901, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 70-year-old man alone in his Chevy lost control on Queens Boulevard. The sedan crashed forward, metal folding, his arm crushed. He stayed conscious, trapped in the wreckage, waiting for help in the night’s hush.

According to the police report, a 70-year-old man driving a 2011 Chevy sedan eastbound on Queens Boulevard near 64th Avenue fell ill behind the wheel. The report states the sedan 'slammed forward,' resulting in significant front-end damage and leaving the driver with crush injuries to his upper arm and shoulder. The driver remained conscious and was not ejected from the vehicle, but was pinned in the wreckage. The police report lists 'Illness' as the contributing factor in this crash. No other vehicles or road users were involved or injured. The incident underscores the dangers that can arise when a driver loses capacity while operating a vehicle, with the force of the crash causing serious harm to the lone occupant.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720760, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A pickup truck hit a 65-year-old woman in Queens. She crossed with the signal. The truck turned left, steel against flesh. Her leg split open. Blood pooled. She stayed conscious. The driver kept going. The street held her pain.

A 65-year-old woman was struck by a pickup truck at the corner of 99th Street and 65th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when the pickup, making a left turn, hit her. She suffered severe lacerations to her lower leg but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver continued without stopping. The vehicle showed no damage. The woman was left injured in the intersection, her blood on the asphalt.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4671505, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 63-year-old woman crossed with the light. An SUV turned and struck her head. She fell, bleeding and unconscious. Alcohol was in the blood. Two SUVs at the scene. The street corner in Queens ran red with danger.

A 63-year-old woman was hit by a turning SUV while crossing 71st Street in Queens with the signal. According to the police report, she was struck in the head and collapsed, unconscious and bleeding. Two SUVs were involved: one parked, one turning. The report states, 'Alcohol was in the blood.' The listed contributing factor is 'Alcohol Involvement.' The woman, a pedestrian, suffered severe head injuries. No driver errors beyond alcohol involvement are listed. The report does not mention helmet or signal use as contributing factors. The crash left a vulnerable road user gravely hurt at a city intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4666210, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Ford SUV lost grip on wet pavement near 66th Avenue. The front end smashed. The driver, alone, bled from the face. He wore his belt. The street was quiet except for pain and shock.

A Ford SUV traveling south on Woodhaven Boulevard near 66th Avenue crashed when it skidded on slippery pavement. The driver, a 28-year-old man, was alone in the vehicle and suffered severe facial bleeding. According to the police report, 'Pavement Slippery' and 'Following Too Closely' were listed as contributing factors. The SUV’s front end crumpled on impact. The driver was belted and not ejected. No other occupants or road users were involved or injured. The report describes the driver in shock, staring ahead in the aftermath. No mention of helmet or signaling factors appears in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4657322, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Assembly bill A 7979 would force drivers with a record of reckless speeding or red-light running to install speed-limiting tech. The bill targets those who rack up points or camera tickets. It aims to keep the most dangerous drivers in check.

Assembly Bill A 7979, now in sponsorship, was introduced on August 19, 2023. The bill sits in the Assembly, awaiting committee action. Its summary reads: 'Requires the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices if a driver accumulates eleven or more points on their driving record during an eighteen month period, or receives 6 speed camera or red light camera tickets during a twelve month period.' The primary sponsor is Emily Gallagher (District 50), joined by co-sponsors Rebecca Seawright, Andrew Hevesi, Tony Simone, Jo Anne Simon, Patricia Fahy, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, MaryJane Shimsky, Yudelka Tapia, Steven Raga, Anna Kelles, Robert C. Carroll, and Sarahana Shrestha. The bill cracks down on repeat offenders, forcing them to install technology that blocks speeding. No safety analyst note is available, but the bill’s intent is clear: rein in drivers who endanger others again and again.

• File A 7979, Open States, Published 2023-08-19

An Audi SUV hit hard on Metropolitan Avenue. The right front slammed forward. A 19-year-old in the back bled from the head. Driver and front passenger were both distracted. The street bore metal, blood, and silence.

An Audi SUV traveling east on Metropolitan Avenue in Queens crashed, striking with its right front bumper. According to the police report, 'An Audi SUV slammed forward, right front first. A 19-year-old in the back bled from the head, conscious but hurt.' Three people inside were injured: the 19-year-old rear passenger suffered severe head bleeding, the 20-year-old front passenger had chest pain, and the 19-year-old driver reported lower leg pain. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. Passenger distraction is also noted. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left the right front bumper damaged. No other contributing factors are mentioned.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4603388, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Three cars crashed eastbound on Jackie Robinson Parkway. Metal twisted. Flames rose. A 35-year-old man suffered chest injuries and burns. Two women and a child hurt. All struck in a chain. Following too closely fueled the wreck.

Three vehicles collided in a chain-reaction crash on Jackie Robinson Parkway. According to the police report, 'Three cars, eastbound, struck in a chain. Metal folded. A man, 35, burned through the belt that held him. His chest crushed. Fire found him anyway.' Seven people were involved. A 35-year-old male driver suffered severe chest injuries and burns. Two female drivers, ages 25 and 60, were injured, along with a 60-year-old female passenger and a 3-year-old and 2-year-old child. The police report lists 'Following Too Closely' as the primary contributing factor. The force of the crash left metal twisted and the night lit by flames. No other contributing factors were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4552460, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Chevy SUV plowed into an e-bike at Metropolitan and Woodhaven. Three riders thrown. Blood on the street. A young woman’s head split open. Shock and pain. The driver failed to yield. The city’s danger laid bare in the morning light.

At the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens, a Chevy SUV struck an e-bike carrying three people. According to the police report, the SUV failed to yield right-of-way and hit the e-bike. A 19-year-old woman, riding as a passenger, was ejected and suffered severe head lacerations. Another 19-year-old woman and the 24-year-old e-bike driver were also ejected and injured. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The SUV driver, a 60-year-old man, was not reported injured. The crash left blood on the road and riders in shock. No mention of helmet use or signals as factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4549825, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14