Rajkumar’s District: Where Kids Bleed and Drivers Walk Free

• Woman killed after being pinned under car while crossing Queens intersection, ABC7, Published 2025-09-21

Aug 14 - An SUV and a sedan met hard at 84th and Rockaway. Speed ruled the crash. A toddler hurt. A child cut deep. Drivers banged up. Signals ignored. Steel buckled. Night streets took the blow.

Two cars collided at 84 St and Rockaway Blvd in Queens. An SUV and a sedan struck head‑on at the front ends. A 2‑year‑old passenger was injured. A 3‑year‑old boy suffered severe head lacerations. Multiple adults, including both drivers, reported pain. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Unsafe Speed” and “Traffic Control Disregarded.” Those driver errors led the list for every involved person. The crash involved a Honda sedan traveling southeast and a Mazda SUV traveling north, both going straight. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed among the injured. The report notes some occupants lacked safety equipment, but only after the primary driver failures.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835025 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Aug 2 - On 82nd Street at Atlantic Avenue, a driver reversing a sedan hit a man on a moped. The 53-year-old bled from deep leg cuts. Night in Queens. The report listed no driver errors.

A driver reversing a sedan on 82nd Street at Atlantic Avenue in Queens hit a man riding a moped. The rider, 53, suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg and foot. According to the police report, no contributing factors or driver errors were listed. The sedan was backing and the moped was traveling straight east. Impact was to the sedan’s right rear bumper and the moped’s front end. It was night. No other injuries were reported. The report notes the moped rider was unlicensed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832491 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Aug 2 - A driver in a sedan going east hit a man at 86-15 Rockaway Boulevard in Queens. Head wound. Severe bleeding. He was incoherent. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver.

A driver in a sedan traveling east hit a 38-year-old man at 86-15 Rockaway Boulevard in Queens. The impact left the pedestrian with a head wound and severe bleeding. He was incoherent at the scene. According to the police report, 'Unsafe Speed' was the contributing factor. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver. The data places the pedestrian at the intersection when he was struck. No other contributing factors were recorded in the report. The crash occurred in the 102nd Precinct area.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832481 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man on 101st Street. The driver sped off after an encounter at the window. Police found the victim with severe trauma. He died at Jamaica Hospital.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-01), a 23-year-old man died after being run over on 101st Street and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. The article reports, "Sonalall approached the driver's side window and flashed what appeared to be a gun, startling the motorist, who then drove off, striking Sonalall." The Queens District Attorney's Office did not charge the driver, citing fear for his life. The incident highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used in moments of conflict. No charges were filed, raising questions about how self-defense is interpreted in car-related deaths.

• Man Killed By Driver In Queens Street, New York Post, Published 2025-08-01

Jun 26 - A man on a motorcycle died after being ejected on Jackie Robinson Parkway. Head injury. Helmet listed. Police cite unspecified factors. The road claimed another life. No other injuries reported.

A 39-year-old man riding a motorcycle east on Jackie Robinson Parkway was killed after being ejected from his bike. According to the police report, the rider suffered a fatal head injury and was wearing a helmet. The report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor. No other injuries were reported. The crash left the motorcycle damaged on its left front quarter panel. The police report does not name any specific driver errors or outside causes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4823332 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Jun 25 - Voters chose candidates who back bike lanes, open streets, and transit. Opponents lost. The message is clear: New Yorkers want safer roads. No new laws yet, but the council’s direction is set. Vulnerable road users watch and wait.

On June 25, 2025, New York City held local elections with major implications for street safety. The event, covered by Streetsblog NYC, saw candidates who championed 'the importance of bike lanes, public transit, and open streets' win across the city. Council members Lincoln Restler, Shahana Hanif, Shekar Krishnan, Chi Oss, Crystal Hudson, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams all prevailed on platforms supporting safer streets. Mark Levine, who called for bold highway changes, won the Comptroller race. The safety analyst notes: 'The event text is a vague statement of support for livable streets but does not describe a specific policy action or legislative change, so its direct safety impact on pedestrians and cyclists cannot be determined.' The victories signal a mandate for people-first streets, but concrete safety gains depend on future action.

• Down-Ballot Recap: A Great Night for the Livable Streets Movement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-25

Jun 17 - Senate passes S 8344. School speed zone rules in New York City get extended. Lawmakers make technical fixes. The bill keeps pressure on drivers near schools. Streets stay a little safer for kids.

Bill S 8344, titled 'Extends provisions and makes technical corrections to school speed zones in NYC; repealer,' moved through the Senate and Assembly in June 2025. Sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes, the bill passed Senate votes on June 12 and June 13, and cleared the Assembly on June 17. The measure extends and corrects school speed zone laws in New York City, repealing outdated provisions. Gounardes led the push, with strong support from most Senate Democrats and a split Assembly. The bill's technical fixes aim to keep protections in place for children and other vulnerable road users near schools. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 8344, Open States, Published 2025-06-17

May 9 - Lawmakers stripped Hochul’s safety plans from the state budget. No daylighting near schools. No lower bike lane speed limits. No new e-bike rules. City and state leaders bickered. Streets stay dangerous. Pedestrians and cyclists remain exposed. The system failed them again.

On May 9, 2025, during New York State’s $254-million budget negotiations, lawmakers rejected Governor Hochul’s proposed street safety measures. The legislature dropped a mandate for daylighting—banning parking at corners near elementary schools—deferring instead to New York City, where Council Member Julie Won’s universal daylighting bill faces opposition from the Department of Transportation. Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, herself a crash survivor, vowed to keep fighting for daylighting, saying, 'I think daylighting would have helped me.' Hochul’s proposals to let the city set lower bike lane speed limits and to reclassify heavy e-bikes as mopeds were also cut. Critics argued these would not address core safety issues. The Adams administration opposes a City Council bill for e-bike registration and plates, while State Sen. Jenifer Rajkumar’s state version would shift licensing to the DMV. As Ben Furnas of Transportation Alternatives put it, 'A daylighting requirement would have made intersections safer around elementary schools, and it’s disappointing that this provision was cut from the New York State budget.'

• Live from Albany: Hochul’s ‘Safety’ Measures Stripped from Budget, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-09

Apr 25 - A motorcycle sped through a red on Woodhaven. Metal hit flesh. A 23-year-old woman died in the crosswalk. The street ran red. The city slept. The driver ignored traffic control and speed.

A 23-year-old woman was killed at Woodhaven Boulevard near 83rd Street when a northbound motorcycle struck her in the intersection. According to the police report, the motorcycle disregarded traffic control and traveled at unsafe speed. The pedestrian died at the scene from severe injuries. The driver, a 34-year-old man, wore a helmet. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808010 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Mar 28 - A Ford SUV veered sharply on 87th Street as its driver lost consciousness. Two men, aged 31 and 67, were struck mid-block and killed. Parked cars shattered. The street fell silent. The deadly crash exposed the peril of driver incapacitation.

According to the police report, at 10:31 a.m. on 87th Street near Atlantic Avenue in Queens, a Ford SUV traveling south veered off course when the driver lost consciousness. The vehicle struck two men, aged 31 and 67, walking mid-block, killing them both with injuries to their entire bodies. The report highlights 'Lost Consciousness' as the primary contributing factor on the part of the SUV driver. Parked cars were also hit and damaged in the crash. No other driver errors or pedestrian behaviors were cited as contributing factors. This incident underscores the lethal risk posed by sudden driver incapacitation and the vulnerability of pedestrians outside intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4801846 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-07

Mar 12 - Dozens gathered in Midtown. They demanded e-bike registration and license plates. Priscilla’s Law, named for a pedestrian killed by an e-bike, drove the call. Council Member Holden and Assembly Member Rajkumar led. Advocates want accountability. They say e-bike chaos endangers walkers and cyclists.

On March 12, 2025, Council Member Robert F. Holden (District 30) joined Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar and advocates in Midtown to rally for Priscilla’s Law (A339). The bill would require all e-bikes to have license plates and be registered with the DMV or DOT. The rally, held near Governor Hochul’s office, drew support from the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance. The matter title: 'New Yorkers rally in Midtown to combat “lawless” e-bike riding in NYC.' Holden supports both city and state versions, stating, 'We need the state DMV to issue license plates for e-bikes.' Rajkumar declared, 'We will usher in a new era free of e-bikes blasting through red lights.' The bill is named for Priscilla Loke, killed by an e-bike in 2023. Advocates say e-bike collisions often end in hit-and-runs. They demand rules and consequences to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

• New Yorkers rally in Midtown to combat “lawless” e-bike riding in NYC, amny.com, Published 2025-03-12