Blood on 37th Avenue—How Many Kids Must Be Hit Before Cruz Acts?
AD 39: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 6, 2025
Children in the Crosswalk, Sirens in the Night
Two girls, ages four and eight, stepped into the crosswalk on 37th Avenue. An SUV swung wide, ran the red, and hit them. The driver did not stop. The girls went to Elmhurst Hospital. Their injuries were called minor. The fear will last longer. The driver is still out there. Police said nothing more.
In the last twelve months, 3 people died and 358 were injured on the roads of Assembly District 39. Four suffered injuries so severe they may never walk the same. Children, elders, cyclists, and pedestrians—no one is spared. The numbers are not just numbers. They are families waiting in hospital halls. They are shoes left on the asphalt.
The Machines That Kill
SUVs, sedans, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds, bikes—every kind of vehicle has drawn blood here. In three years, 11 people have died. Over 1,200 have been hurt. Ten were marked as serious injuries. Most were hit by cars and trucks, but motorcycles and mopeds have killed too. Even bikes have left scars.
What Has Been Done—And What Has Not
Assembly Member Catalina Cruz has taken some steps. She co-sponsored A 1077 and A 1280, bills that demand streets be built for people, not just cars. She voted yes on A 7652, bringing speed cameras to school zones. She backed car-free streets for Halloween, saying cars are a deadly risk to children. DOT data shows a 42% drop in injuries on 34th Avenue since it went car-free. But the carnage has not stopped.
There is no record of Cruz blocking safety bills. But there is also no record of a fight to lower speed limits or force the city to redesign every deadly intersection. The bills are good. The pace is slow. The streets are not safe.
Call to Action: Demand Relentless Change
Every day, someone else is hit. Every week, another family waits for news. Call Assembly Member Cruz. Call your council member. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand protected crossings. Demand action, not words. The blood on the street is not an accident. It is a choice. Make them choose safety.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Driver Runs Red, Hits Two Girls, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-26
- Driver Runs Red, Hits Two Girls, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-26
- File A 1077, Open States, Published 2025-01-08
- File A 1280, Open States, Published 2023-01-13
- File A 7652, Open States, Published 2024-06-07
- NO TRICK, ALL TREAT: City to Ban Cars on Some Streets for Halloween, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-10-24
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4651852, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
- NYC Mayor Adams heading to Albany next week for last ditch legislative push, nydailynews.com, Published 2022-05-13
- NYC basement legalization plan caught in Albany’s housing gridlock, gothamist.com, Published 2024-02-01
▸ Other Geographies
AD 39 Assembly District 39 sits in Queens, Precinct 110, District 25.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Assembly District 39
Cruz Supports Safety Boosting 24/7 Speed Camera Expansion▸Mayor Adams heads to Albany. He pushes for round-the-clock speed cameras and mayoral control of schools. Lawmakers stall. Streets stay dangerous at night. Advocates say limited camera hours fuel reckless driving. Albany debates, but time runs out. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.
On May 13, 2022, Mayor Adams traveled to Albany to press lawmakers on his legislative priorities. The push included extending mayoral control of New York City’s public schools and, crucially, allowing speed cameras to operate 24/7. The matter summary states: 'Topping the list for Adams is extending mayoral control of the city’s public schools and allowing speed cameras on city streets to operate 24/7.' State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie were key figures in these talks. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez also lobbied for expanded speed camera authority. Despite Adams’s efforts, lawmakers showed little appetite for granting 'home rule'—the power for the city to control camera placement and hours. Advocates warn that restricting camera hours to weekdays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., leaves streets deadly at night. The legislative session neared its end with no breakthrough, leaving vulnerable road users exposed.
-
NYC Mayor Adams heading to Albany next week for last ditch legislative push,
nydailynews.com,
Published 2022-05-13
SUV Slams Parked Truck on Booth Street▸A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Mayor Adams heads to Albany. He pushes for round-the-clock speed cameras and mayoral control of schools. Lawmakers stall. Streets stay dangerous at night. Advocates say limited camera hours fuel reckless driving. Albany debates, but time runs out. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.
On May 13, 2022, Mayor Adams traveled to Albany to press lawmakers on his legislative priorities. The push included extending mayoral control of New York City’s public schools and, crucially, allowing speed cameras to operate 24/7. The matter summary states: 'Topping the list for Adams is extending mayoral control of the city’s public schools and allowing speed cameras on city streets to operate 24/7.' State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie were key figures in these talks. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez also lobbied for expanded speed camera authority. Despite Adams’s efforts, lawmakers showed little appetite for granting 'home rule'—the power for the city to control camera placement and hours. Advocates warn that restricting camera hours to weekdays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., leaves streets deadly at night. The legislative session neared its end with no breakthrough, leaving vulnerable road users exposed.
- NYC Mayor Adams heading to Albany next week for last ditch legislative push, nydailynews.com, Published 2022-05-13
SUV Slams Parked Truck on Booth Street▸A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14