Blood on the Asphalt: How Many More Must Die?

A sedan hit a 67-year-old woman in a marked crosswalk on Atlantic Ave. She suffered severe head lacerations. Police cite failure to yield and driver distraction.

A 67-year-old woman was struck by a sedan while crossing Atlantic Ave in a marked crosswalk. She suffered severe lacerations to her head. According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way and was inattentive or distracted. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead when the crash occurred. No injuries were reported for the driver or other vehicle occupant. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4828889 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

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 The measure extends and corrects school speed zone laws in New York City, repealing outdated provisions.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

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 The measure extends and corrects school speed zone laws in New York City, repealing outdated provisions.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 2025-06-12

Court Street bleeds from double parking and swerving cars. Cyclists and walkers dodge danger daily. DOT will cut a lane, add a protected bike path, and shrink space for reckless driving. Fewer lanes, fewer crashes. Safety, not speed, takes the street.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-06-06) reports the Department of Transportation will install a protected bike lane on Brooklyn’s Court Street, a corridor plagued by double parking and sideswipe crashes. DOT’s Chris Brunson said, “The narrower street width for vehicles will de-incentivize double parking on the corridor.” The redesign removes a travel lane, adds a protected bike lane, and aims to curb driver behavior that leads to crashes. Between 2022 and 2024, 165 crashes on this mile-long stretch caused one death and injured 15 cyclists and 23 pedestrians. Most pedestrian injuries happened while crossing with the light, showing drivers failed to yield. The plan targets excess road capacity and prioritizes vulnerable users on a Vision Zero Priority Corridor.

• DOT Plans Protected Bike Lane Court Street, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-06

Three vehicles crashed on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Metal twisted. One driver suffered head and crush injuries. Police blamed driver distraction. The road ran straight. The night was quiet. The system failed again.

A crash involving a pick-up truck and two SUVs tore through the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Brooklyn. According to the police report, three vehicles were traveling east when they collided. One driver, a 32-year-old man, suffered head and crush injuries. Five others, including a child, were listed as occupants but did not have specified injuries. Police cited 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. No other errors or violations were listed. The report shows all vehicles were moving straight ahead before impact. The data does not mention helmet or signal use as a factor. The crash highlights the ongoing danger for all road users on New York’s highways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4817170 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Assembly bill A 7997 lets speed cameras catch drivers hiding or altering plates. It extends camera use in school zones. Lawmakers push to close loopholes that shield reckless drivers from accountability.

Assembly bill A 7997, now in sponsorship, aims to expand photo speed violation monitoring in New York City. The bill, sponsored by Deborah Glick with co-sponsors Jo Anne Simon, John Zaccaro Jr., Linda Rosenthal, and Tony Simone, was introduced on April 16, 2025. It 'permits the use of photo speed violation monitoring systems in New York City for the purposes of enforcement of license plate obstruction, concealment, and/or distortion; extends provisions permitting the use of speed cameras in certain school zones.' By targeting plate obstruction, the bill seeks to stop drivers from dodging speed camera enforcement, a move that could help protect pedestrians and cyclists from repeat offenders.

• File A 7997, Open States, Published 2025-04-16

Parked SUV door flung open. Cyclist’s arm torn. Blood on Atlantic Avenue. Driver stands unharmed. Distraction behind the steel. Another wound for Brooklyn streets.

A 26-year-old man riding his bike west on Atlantic Avenue was struck when a parked SUV’s door opened into his path. According to the police report, the cyclist’s arm was split open, leaving him with severe lacerations. The 71-year-old SUV driver was not injured. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The crash highlights the danger when drivers fail to check for cyclists before opening doors. No helmet or signal use was cited as a factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4804626 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

A car turned left on Court Street. A four-year-old crossed with the signal. The bumper struck his leg. His knee crushed. The driver failed to yield. Steel met flesh. A child lay broken.

A four-year-old boy was struck and injured while crossing Court Street at Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the child crossed with the signal when a car turned left and hit him, crushing his knee. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Passenger Distraction' as contributing factors. The boy remained conscious after the crash. The driver’s failure to yield is called out in the official account. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4803267 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Brooklyn’s Ashland Place stays deadly. DOT delays a promised bike lane. Elected officials and residents demand action. Private interests block progress. Cyclists face crashes and fear. The city shrugs. The gap remains. Lives hang in the balance.

On April 3, 2025, a coalition of Brooklyn officials—including Council Members Crystal Hudson, Shahana Hanif, Lincoln Restler, Assembly Members Andrew Gounardes, Jo Anne Simon, Phara Souffrant Forrest, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Borough President Antonio Reynoso—sent a letter urging DOT to finish the protected bike lane on Ashland Place. The letter called the block a 'missing link in Brooklyn’s protected bike lane network.' Brooklyn Community Board 2 backed the demand. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and Borough Commissioner Keith Bray offered only vague replies. The block’s exclusion traces to a mayoral advisor’s intervention for developer Two Trees. Advocates like Kathy Park Price slammed the city: 'Private interests are able to redesign our streets, prioritizing vehicles over safety at a critical corridor.' Despite unanimous support, DOT keeps the street dangerous. The city’s inaction leaves cyclists exposed and the community frustrated.

• ‘Crashland’: As Demand Grows, DOT Still Won’t Finish Bike Lane on Dangerous Brooklyn Road, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-03

A mother and two daughters died crossing a Brooklyn street. The driver had a suspended license and a record of violations. Lawmakers now press for speed limiters on repeat offenders. The city mourns. The system failed to stop the car.

Gothamist (2025-04-01) reports renewed calls for the 'Stop Super Speeders' bill after a Brooklyn crash killed a mother and two children. The driver, with a suspended license and 'dozens of speed and red light violations,' struck the family as they crossed the street. The bill would require speed-limiting technology for drivers with repeated offenses—those with 11 or more points in 24 months, or six camera tickets in a year. Assemblymember Emily Gallagher and Senator Andrew Gounardes, citing the crash, demand action: 'It’s no longer simply enough to shake our heads in despair... it’s time for us to act.' The incident highlights gaps in enforcement and the stalled progress of safety legislation meant to curb reckless driving.

• Brooklyn Crash Spurs Speed Limiter Push, Gothamist, Published 2025-04-01

After a crash killed a mother and two daughters in Gravesend, advocates and Council Member Shahana Hanif rallied for the Stop Super Speeders bill. The law would force repeat reckless drivers to use speed-limiting tech. Survivors demand action. Lawmakers promise change.

On April 1, 2025, Council Member Shahana Hanif joined a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall demanding passage of the Stop Super Speeders bill. The bill, sponsored in Albany by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, would require drivers with repeated violations to install intelligent speed assistance (ISA) devices. These devices cap speed at 5 mph over the limit for those with 11 or more license points in 24 months or six camera tickets in a year. The rally followed a fatal Gravesend crash that killed a mother and her two daughters. Hanif and other lawmakers called current enforcement—ticketing, suspensions, fines, jail—ineffective. Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon said, 'The speed limiter technology is available to us. Let’s use it. It will save lives.' The bill is modeled on EU and Virginia laws. Some opposition remains, but supporters say the measure is urgent and practical.

• ‘Enough is enough’: Street safety advocates demand passage of ‘Stop Super Speeders’ bill after tragic Gravesend crash, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2025-04-01

A sedan struck a stopped SUV on Flatbush Avenue. A woman in the rear seat died, her chest crushed. Two vehicles, one still, one moving. The night’s silence broken by impact. No forgiveness, only loss.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling south on Flatbush Avenue collided with the center rear of a stationary SUV near State Street in Brooklyn at 23:04. The SUV was stopped in traffic when the sedan, described as 'going straight ahead,' struck it. A 45-year-old woman, seated unbelted in the right rear passenger seat of the SUV, was killed. The report states her chest was crushed in the impact. The narrative reads: 'A woman, 45, unbelted in the rear seat, died when a sedan struck their stopped SUV. Her chest crushed. Two cars, one still, one moving.' No contributing factors are specified in the police data, but the sequence of events centers on the moving sedan striking a stopped vehicle. The report does not cite any passenger behavior as a contributing factor, listing only 'Unspecified' for contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4795527 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

A drunk driver blasted through a red light at 72 mph. He struck Katherine Harris, killing her steps from home. The car crashed on. Blood alcohol twice the limit. The street became a crime scene. Lives shattered in seconds.

NY Daily News reported on February 28, 2025, that Erick Trujillo, 29, was sentenced to three to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. On April 16, 2023, Trujillo drove his Volvo at 72 mph—nearly triple the speed limit—through a red light at Atlantic Ave and Clinton Street in Brooklyn. He struck pedestrian Katherine Harris, 31, killing her instantly, then rear-ended another car and crashed into an outdoor dining shed. Trujillo's blood alcohol level was .17, more than twice the legal limit. The article quotes Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez: "This defendant made a disastrous decision when he got behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated." The case highlights the lethal consequences of impaired driving and excessive speed, underscoring systemic risks for pedestrians in New York City.

• Drunk Driver Speeds, Kills Pedestrian in Brooklyn, NY Daily News, Published 2025-02-28

A driver rear-ended a car, then tried to run down the man who got out. The victim clung to the hood, thrown off after 330 feet. He hit the pavement, battered. The driver fled. Police seek him. The street stayed dangerous.

According to NY Daily News (published February 19, 2025), Jacob Angstadt, 27, rear-ended a 34-year-old man on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway near Tillary Street. When the victim exited to take a photo, Angstadt "became enraged, hit the gas pedal and sped toward him." The victim leapt onto the hood and was carried nearly 330 feet before being thrown onto the roadway, suffering serious injuries. Angstadt fled the scene. Police released his photo and asked for public help. The incident highlights the lethal risk of aggressive driving and the vulnerability of people outside vehicles. The case remains open as authorities search for the driver.

• Driver Rams, Drags Man On Expressway, NY Daily News, Published 2025-02-19

Assembly bill A 2299 targets reckless drivers. Eleven points or six camera tickets in a year triggers forced speed control tech. Lawmakers move to curb repeat speeders. Streets demand fewer deadly risks.

Assembly bill A 2299, now in sponsorship, sits with the New York State Assembly. Introduced January 16, 2025, the bill 'requires the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices if a driver accumulates eleven or more points on their driving record during a 24 month period, or receives 6 speed camera or red light camera tickets during a twelve month period.' Primary sponsor Emily Gallagher leads a bloc of co-sponsors, including Rebecca Seawright, Andrew Hevesi, and others. The measure aims to clamp down on repeat speeders with mandatory speed-limiting tech. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 2299, Open States, Published 2025-01-16

A 43-year-old woman crossing Flatbush Avenue with the signal was struck by a speeding e-bike. She suffered severe lacerations but remained conscious. The unlicensed rider fled. The e-bike showed no damage. The street held its silence.

A woman, age 43, was injured while crossing Flatbush Avenue near Nevins Street in Brooklyn, according to the police report. The report states she was 'crossing with the light' when a speeding e-bike struck her, causing 'severe lacerations' to her entire body. She remained conscious after the impact. The e-bike operator, described as unlicensed, did not stop at the scene. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. The e-bike showed no visible damage. The victim’s action—crossing with the signal—is noted in the report, but the primary focus remains on the rider’s speed, improper lane usage, and lack of a valid license. The crash underscores the dangers posed by reckless operation and systemic failures to control unlicensed riders.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4780866 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Two sedans collided violently on Adams Street near Fulton. One made a U-turn, the other drove straight. A 55-year-old woman passenger struck her head, bleeding but conscious. Unsafe speed and ignored signals fueled the crash and injuries.

According to the police report, at 19:10 on Adams Street near Fulton in Brooklyn, two sedans collided. One sedan was making a U-turn while the other was traveling straight north. The report identifies 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors to the crash. A 55-year-old female passenger suffered a head injury with significant bleeding but remained conscious. Additional occupants, including a 31-year-old female driver and two passengers aged 9 and 15, sustained neck injuries consistent with whiplash. The report emphasizes that driver errors—specifically unsafe speed and failure to obey traffic controls—were central to the collision and resulting injuries. No victim behaviors were cited as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4780689 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

Metal screamed near 5th Avenue. A motorcycle clipped a sedan pulling into a spot. A woman, helmeted, crushed her leg. Northbound traffic, one slowed, one did not. The pavement held the silence. Brooklyn’s streets demand attention.

A collision unfolded near 5th Avenue and 39th Street in Brooklyn at 17:40, involving a motorcycle and a sedan, according to the police report. The report states that a motorcycle 'clipped a sedan pulling into a spot.' The impact left a 52-year-old woman, riding as a rear passenger on the motorcycle, with crush injuries to her leg. She was helmeted and remained conscious after the crash. Both vehicles were traveling northbound; the sedan was entering a parked position while the motorcycle was passing. The police report cites 'Following Too Closely' as a contributing factor. This driver error—failing to maintain adequate distance—directly preceded the collision and the resulting injury. The report does not list any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The crash underscores the persistent danger faced by vulnerable road users on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4770876 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

A bus turned, steel and glass sweeping the corner. An e-bike rider, seventy-four, thrown down. His head struck, life ended. The street stilled. The door bore the mark. Brooklyn night, another life lost to traffic’s violence.

A 74-year-old man riding an e-bike was killed at the corner of Jay Street and Tillary Street in Brooklyn when a bus struck him while making a right turn, according to the police report. The narrative states the man was 'thrown from the saddle' and suffered fatal head injuries, with 'the door bore the mark' signaling the point of impact on the bus. The police report lists the bus as 'making right turn' and the e-bike as 'going straight ahead.' Both contributing factors are marked as 'Unspecified' in the report. The victim was not wearing a helmet, but the report does not cite this as a contributing factor. The collision ended with the e-bike rider ejected and killed, underscoring the lethal risk faced by vulnerable road users when large vehicles turn across their path.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4769478 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31

A pickup truck hit a 24-year-old man riding an e-bike on 4th Avenue at Sackett Street. He was thrown, his body broken. He died under the Brooklyn night, helmet still strapped to his head. The street swallowed another cyclist.

According to the police report, a 24-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck by a northbound pickup truck at 4th Avenue and Sackett Street in Brooklyn. The report states the cyclist was 'thrown' and suffered fatal injuries to his entire body. The narrative describes the victim as having his 'helmet strapped' and notes he 'died there, under the Brooklyn night.' The e-bike was demolished, with the point of impact listed as the right side doors, while the pickup truck sustained damage to its right front bumper. The police report does not specify any contributing factors or driver errors, listing them as 'Unspecified.' The cyclist’s helmet use is mentioned only as a detail, not as a contributing factor. The focus remains on the impact and the deadly consequences for the vulnerable road user.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4767852 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-07-31