Blood on the Crosswalk: Speed Kills, Lawmakers Stall

A sedan slammed into a 56-year-old man on Flatbush Avenue at Lincoln Road. He crossed with the signal. The car’s front end struck him. He lay unconscious, body crushed. The driver failed to yield. The street bore the mark of impact.

A sedan struck a 56-year-old man as he crossed Flatbush Avenue at Lincoln Road with the signal. According to the police report, 'A sedan struck a 56-year-old man crossing with the signal. He lay unconscious, his body crushed. The car’s front end bore the mark. The driver did not yield.' The crash left the pedestrian unconscious with crush injuries to his entire body. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The man was in the crosswalk, following the signal, when the southbound sedan hit him head-on. No other contributing factors were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4686988, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan turned on Ocean Avenue. It hit a 90-year-old woman crossing with the signal. She fell. Blood streaked her face. The car kept moving. She lay there, conscious, head cut and wounded, the street cold and hard beneath her.

A 90-year-old woman was struck head-on by a sedan while crossing Ocean Avenue at Parkside Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when the sedan, making a right turn, hit her. She suffered severe lacerations and a head injury but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Turning Improperly' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The point of impact was the center front end of the sedan. The woman was not at fault; she was following the signal. The crash left her bleeding and wounded in the intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4687736, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council calls for scramble crosswalks at school zones. The move aims to cut deadly conflict between cars and kids. Filed at session’s end, the resolution targets peak arrival and dismissal. Sponsors push Albany to act. Streets remain risky.

Resolution 0792-2023 was filed by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 28, 2023, and closed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. The resolution urges the New York State Legislature and Governor to pass A.5001-A/S.2515-B, which would require scramble crosswalks at intersections near schools during student arrival and dismissal. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.5001-A/S.2515-B, in relation to establishing scramble crosswalks leading to and from school buildings during times of student arrival and dismissal.' Council Members Shahana K. Hanif (primary), Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Lincoln Restler, and Kevin C. Riley sponsored the measure. The bill responds to persistent crashes near schools and the loss of hundreds of crossing guards. Scramble crosswalks, also called Barnes Dances, stop all traffic so pedestrians cross in every direction. The council’s action highlights the ongoing danger children face on city streets.

• File Res 0792-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-09-28

A man turned left on Nostrand. His Yamaha smashed hard. The front crumpled. Blood pooled on the street. He stayed conscious. The pavement held him. The city watched, unmoved.

A 50-year-old man riding a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle was injured while turning left at Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Place in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the motorcycle struck hard, crumpling the front. The rider suffered severe head lacerations and remained conscious at the scene. The report notes he wore no helmet. No specific driver errors were listed beyond 'Unspecified' contributing factors. The crash left blood pooling on the street. The incident underscores the violence of impact when a vulnerable road user meets the city’s pavement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4661121, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Mothers starve for Sammy’s Law. Hochul offers sympathy, not action. Heastie keeps the bill off the floor. The law would let New York City lower speed limits. Assembly support grows. Vulnerable road users wait. Streets stay deadly. Lawmakers stall. Lives hang in the balance.

Sammy’s Law, stalled in the New York State Assembly, would let New York City set speed limits below 25 mph. On June 7, 2023, Governor Hochul expressed sympathy for hunger-striking mothers but refused to pressure Speaker Carl Heastie, who blocks the bill from a vote. The bill passed the Senate and has City Council and mayoral support. The matter summary: 'Hochul has previously expressed support for Sammy's Law, which would allow New York City to set its speed limits below 25 miles per hour.' Amy Cohen, a mother and advocate, demanded action, showing Heastie photos of victims. Seven new Assembly members, including Yudelka Tapia, Al Taylor, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, and Brian Cunningham, now back the bill, giving it majority support among NYC Assembly members. Still, the Speaker’s inaction leaves vulnerable road users exposed to speeding drivers and systemic danger.

• Hunger Strike Day 2: Gov. Hochul is ‘Sympathetic,’ But Won’t Pressure Heastie on Sammy’s Law, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-07

A sedan struck an SUV at Nostrand and Crown. Metal twisted. A 56-year-old man, trapped behind the wheel, died with crushed legs. Traffic control was ignored. The street did not stop. The crash left silence and broken glass in Brooklyn.

A deadly crash unfolded at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a sedan slammed into a sport utility vehicle. The impact trapped a 56-year-old male driver behind the wheel. He suffered severe leg injuries and died at the scene. The report states, 'Traffic control was ignored. The street did not stop.' The official contributing factor listed is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' No evidence in the report suggests any error or fault by the victim. The crash highlights the lethal consequences when drivers ignore traffic controls at busy intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4612732, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Dodge SUV hit a man on Linden Boulevard. The driver was unlicensed. The man lay broken, conscious, crushed from head to toe. No skid marks. No damage to the car. Driver inattention listed as cause. The street swallowed another body.

A Dodge SUV struck a 46-year-old man outside the crosswalk near 341 Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the unlicensed woman behind the wheel hit the pedestrian, leaving him conscious but suffering crush injuries across his entire body. The report notes, 'No skid marks. No damage to the car.' Driver inattention and distraction are listed as contributing factors. The driver’s lack of a license is also documented. The pedestrian was not at an intersection when struck. No other injuries were reported. The crash highlights the danger faced by people on foot when drivers are distracted and unlicensed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4610883, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Two e-bikes slam together on Troy Avenue at night. One rider, fifty, thrown hard. Head hits pavement. Blood spills. Lacerations deep. No helmet. No lights. Failure to yield. Silence under the streetlamps.

Two e-bikes collided at speed on Troy Avenue after dark. One rider, age 50, was ejected and struck his head on the pavement, suffering severe lacerations. According to the police report, 'No lights. No yield.' The crash was caused by 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The injured rider wore no helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary factor was the failure to yield. The report lists no other injuries. The street was quiet. The only witness was an occupant, unhurt. The scene was blood and silence under the lamps.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4576034, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A pickup tore down Eastern Parkway. The driver sped, distracted, unlicensed. He struck a 56-year-old man standing in the road. The truck crushed him. The man died on the street. The city fell silent around the wreck.

A 56-year-old pedestrian was killed on Eastern Parkway near Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a pickup truck traveling at unsafe speed struck the man head-on as he stood mid-road. The driver was unlicensed and distracted. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The pickup’s center front end hit the pedestrian, causing fatal injuries to his entire body. No other injuries were specified for the occupants. The police report details the driver’s lack of license and failure to control speed or attention. The victim died at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4575837, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man on an e-bike slammed into a parked box truck on Schenectady Avenue. He was thrown from the bike. His neck broke. Blood pooled on the street. He died there, alone, under the sun. The crash ended his ride in Brooklyn.

A 48-year-old man riding an e-bike south on Schenectady Avenue near Lincoln Place struck a parked box truck and was ejected. According to the police report, 'A 48-year-old man on an e-bike struck a parked box truck. No helmet. Ejected. Neck broken. Blood pooled on the pavement. He died there, alone, beneath the late morning sun.' The report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider was unlicensed. No helmet was used, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the driver error. No other injuries were reported. The parked box truck was not damaged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4574844, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A moped hit a parked SUV on Nostrand Avenue. The rider, unlicensed and helmetless, flew off and struck his head. Blood pooled on the street. No one else was hurt. The crash left the block silent and still.

A moped rider crashed head-on into a parked SUV near Midwood Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the moped was traveling at unsafe speed before impact. The 35-year-old rider was unlicensed and wore no helmet. He was partially ejected and suffered severe head bleeding. The SUV was empty and parked. No other injuries were reported. The police report states: 'A moped slammed head-on into a parked SUV. No helmet. No license. The rider, 35, flew partway off. His head struck hard. Blood pooled. The street stood still. No one else was there.' Driver error listed: Unsafe Speed. The lack of helmet and license are noted after the primary cause.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4562076, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Honda sedan hit a 68-year-old man crossing Clarkson Avenue. The man had the signal. The car did not stop. He fell hard. Blood pooled. His head was bleeding. He stayed conscious. The driver failed to yield.

A 68-year-old man was crossing Clarkson Avenue at the crosswalk with the signal when a westbound Honda sedan struck him head-on. According to the police report, 'A 68-year-old man stepped into the crosswalk with the signal. A westbound Honda did not stop. The sedan struck him head-on. He fell. Blood pooled on the asphalt. His head was bleeding. He was conscious.' The pedestrian suffered a head injury and severe bleeding. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver continued straight and failed to yield to the pedestrian, who was lawfully crossing. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4559540, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 47-year-old man crashed his motorcycle on Linden Boulevard. He struck headfirst. Blood ran from his scalp. He stayed awake. The road tore skin from his body. Inexperience gripped the throttle. Sirens broke the silence.

A 47-year-old man riding a motorcycle westbound on Linden Boulevard near 155th in Brooklyn crashed headfirst and suffered severe head lacerations. According to the police report, 'Inexperience held the throttle.' The report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor. The injured man was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the data. He remained conscious at the scene, with blood pouring from his scalp and skin torn from his body. No other vehicles or people were reported injured. The crash highlights the dangers faced by motorcyclists, especially when driver inexperience is involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4562256, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan sped west on Eastern Parkway. The driver ran the light at Utica Avenue. A man crossed with the signal. The car hit him head-on. His skull split. Blood pooled. He lay semiconscious. The sedan rolled away, untouched.

A 60-year-old man was crossing Eastern Parkway at Utica Avenue with the signal when a westbound sedan struck him head-on. According to the police report, 'A man crossed with the light. A westbound sedan ran it. Struck him head-on.' The pedestrian suffered severe head lacerations and was left semiconscious at the scene. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The sedan showed no visible damage and continued on. The man was injured while following the signal. The crash highlights the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls and speed through intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4558296, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man on an e-scooter hit hard at Flatbush and Woodruff. He was thrown, crushed, left conscious but broken. The scooter lay still in the street. Night swallowed the scene. The city moved on. The man did not.

A 49-year-old man riding an e-scooter south on Flatbush Avenue at Woodruff Avenue was ejected and suffered crush injuries to his entire body. According to the police report, the rider was conscious after the crash, but badly hurt. No other vehicles or persons were listed in the report. The e-scooter was damaged at the center back end. No driver errors or contributing factors were cited in the data. The report notes the rider wore no helmet, but does not list this as a contributing factor. The crash left the man broken in the street, his scooter still, the city unchanged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4552831, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Toyota SUV turned right at Lefferts and Troy. A nine-year-old boy crossed outside the crosswalk. Steel hit flesh. The front end struck his legs. Blood pooled. His knee split open. The driver failed to yield. The boy stayed conscious.

A Toyota SUV, making a right turn at Lefferts Avenue and Troy Avenue in Brooklyn, struck a nine-year-old boy as he crossed the street outside a crosswalk. According to the police report, 'the front end strikes his legs. The boy bleeds, conscious, his knee torn open.' The child suffered severe lacerations to his knee and lower leg. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. No damage was reported to the vehicle. The driver, a 42-year-old man, was licensed and remained at the scene. The crash highlights the danger faced by children crossing city streets, especially when drivers fail to yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4550600, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Jeep hit a woman crossing Troy Avenue with the signal. The SUV’s front end smashed her face. Blood pooled on the street. She stayed conscious. The driver failed to yield. The city’s danger showed itself again at dawn.

A 29-year-old woman was crossing Troy Avenue at 5 a.m. with the signal when a Jeep SUV struck her. According to the police report, the SUV’s front end hit her face, causing severe lacerations. She remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the driver’s contributing factor. The woman was in the crosswalk, following the signal, when the crash occurred. The data does not mention any helmet or signaling issues for the pedestrian. The crash highlights the ongoing risk to people on foot when drivers ignore the rules meant to protect them.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4548708, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man crossed Carroll Street against the light. An e-bike hit him. His head split open. Blood ran. He stayed awake. The rider did not stop. The bike rolled on. The man did not.

A 32-year-old man was struck by an e-bike while crossing Carroll Street. According to the police report, the man stepped into the street against the signal. The e-bike, operated by a 39-year-old woman, hit him. The man suffered a severe head injury and heavy bleeding but remained conscious. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider did not stop after the crash. No other driver errors or equipment issues were cited in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4542890, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A moped struck a bike’s rear on Maple Street. The girl riding pillion took the blow. Blood marked her face. She stayed conscious. The crash left her with severe cuts. Unsafe speed and failure to yield fueled the impact.

A moped crashed into the rear of a bicycle at Maple Street and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The impact injured an 18-year-old female passenger riding on the back of the bike. According to the police report, 'A moped slammed into a bike’s rear. The girl on the back seat took the hit in silence. Blood traced her face.' She suffered severe lacerations to her face but remained conscious. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. Both the moped and bike drivers were male and did not report injuries. The cyclist was wearing a helmet, as noted in the data, but the crash was driven by driver errors: unsafe speed and disregard for traffic control.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4539242, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan turned right on Bedford Avenue. An e-scooter kept straight. The car rolled over the rider’s back. He stayed conscious, helmet on, pain sharp. Both drivers looked away. Distraction ruled the street. Metal cracked. Flesh bore the cost.

A sedan and an e-scooter collided on Bedford Avenue. The sedan turned right while the e-scooter continued straight. The e-scooter rider, a 32-year-old man, suffered crush injuries to his back but remained conscious. According to the police report, 'Both drivers looked away.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor for both operators. The e-scooter rider wore a helmet, as noted in the data. No other injuries were reported. The sedan showed no damage. The crash underscores the danger when drivers fail to pay attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4532521, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14