Brownsville Bleeds: No More Excuses, No More Deaths
AD 55: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 8, 2025
The Toll in Brownsville and Beyond
A man steps out for a family cookout. He never makes it across Sutter Avenue. Larry Maxwell, 72, is struck and left dying in the street. His son, Larnce Vargas, stands at the scene, police and EMS between him and his father. “There are so many cameras. So why is he still at large, if there’s so many cameras? Y’all can find any and everybody else, but y’all can’t find him. That don’t make sense.” Vargas told the Daily News.
In the last twelve months, 2 people have died and 6 have been seriously injured on the streets of Assembly District 55. There have been 1,268 crashes and 735 injuries. The numbers are blunt. The pain is not.
The Young, the Old, the Unprotected
A 26-year-old woman, Imani Vance, dies in the front seat of a Mercedes on Van Sinderen Avenue. The driver, unlicensed, runs a stop sign, slams into a school bus, and flees. “The tragic loss of Imani Vance was allegedly caused by the defendant’s reckless decision to ignore a stop sign and drive at excessive speeds,” said Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez. The bus driver survives. The family plans a funeral. The intersection waits for the next crash.
Pedestrians bleed on the sidewalk. Cyclists go down hard. Children are not spared. In the last year, 66 people under 18 were injured in crashes here. Cars and trucks do most of the harm, but buses, bikes, and mopeds leave their mark too.
What Has Been Done—And What Has Not
Assembly Member Latrice Walker has co-sponsored bills to bring safer street design to all users (A 1077, A 1280). She voted yes to expand school speed cameras in Schenectady. These are steps. But the blood on the street says it is not enough. The cameras that catch speeders do not always catch killers. The laws that promise safety do not bring it fast enough.
What Comes Next
Every crash is preventable. Every death is a failure.
Call Assembly Member Walker. Call the Mayor. Call your council member. Demand a citywide 20 mph speed limit. Demand more speed cameras, not just in Schenectady, but here, where the bodies fall. Join Transportation Alternatives or Families for Safe Streets. Stand with the families who have lost. Do not wait for the next siren.
The street will not change itself. You must.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Deadly Brooklyn Hit-and-Run at Bus Stop, Gothamist, Published 2025-04-09
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4776052, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-08
- Elderly Man Killed In Brooklyn Hit-And-Run, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-15
- Unlicensed Driver Flees Fatal Brooklyn Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-03-02
- Brooklyn Hit-And-Run Kills Passenger, amny, Published 2025-04-10
- 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
- Hit-And-Run Driver Kills Brooklyn Elder, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-15
District 55
400 Rockaway Ave. 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11212
Room 713, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248
▸ Other Geographies
AD 55 Assembly District 55 sits in Brooklyn, Precinct 73, District 41.
It contains Lincoln Terrace Park, Ocean Hill, Brownsville, Brooklyn CB16.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Assembly District 55
SUV Speeds Into Parked Cars, Driver Crushed▸An SUV tore down Grafton Street. It veered left, slammed into parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man behind the wheel was left semiconscious, legs shattered. Sirens came. The street went still. The crash left pain and silence.
On Grafton Street in Brooklyn, an SUV traveling at unsafe speed veered left and crashed into several parked cars. According to the police report, 'an SUV, too fast, veered left and slammed parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man lay crushed behind the wheel, semiconscious, legs shattered.' The crash left the 64-year-old male driver with severe crush injuries to his legs. Other occupants in the vehicles suffered unspecified injuries. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. No evidence in the data suggests any error or fault by the injured. The impact was sudden and violent, leaving the street in shock.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4536615,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Sedan Hits E-Scooter, Passenger’s Leg Crushed▸A sedan slammed into an e-scooter at Rockaway Avenue. The unlicensed scooter driver and his 19-year-old passenger were thrown. Her leg was crushed. She lay conscious on the street. Police cited traffic control disregarded. Metal, flesh, and asphalt met hard.
A sedan struck an e-scooter near 38 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan hit the scooter as both vehicles went straight. The e-scooter carried two people: a 33-year-old unlicensed male driver and a 19-year-old female passenger. Both were ejected. The woman suffered severe crush injuries to her leg and remained conscious on the asphalt. The scooter driver had minor head bleeding. Police listed 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The report notes the scooter driver was unlicensed. No helmet was used by the passenger, as stated in the narrative, but this is mentioned only after driver errors. The crash underscores the danger faced by vulnerable road users when drivers ignore traffic controls.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4534064,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Parked Sedan Crash Kills Driver on Powell Street▸A 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.
A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Woman Struck Crossing Atlantic Avenue Before Dawn▸A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.
A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
2Head-On Crash Shatters Two Drivers on Blake Avenue▸Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
An SUV tore down Grafton Street. It veered left, slammed into parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man behind the wheel was left semiconscious, legs shattered. Sirens came. The street went still. The crash left pain and silence.
On Grafton Street in Brooklyn, an SUV traveling at unsafe speed veered left and crashed into several parked cars. According to the police report, 'an SUV, too fast, veered left and slammed parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man lay crushed behind the wheel, semiconscious, legs shattered.' The crash left the 64-year-old male driver with severe crush injuries to his legs. Other occupants in the vehicles suffered unspecified injuries. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. No evidence in the data suggests any error or fault by the injured. The impact was sudden and violent, leaving the street in shock.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4536615, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14
Sedan Hits E-Scooter, Passenger’s Leg Crushed▸A sedan slammed into an e-scooter at Rockaway Avenue. The unlicensed scooter driver and his 19-year-old passenger were thrown. Her leg was crushed. She lay conscious on the street. Police cited traffic control disregarded. Metal, flesh, and asphalt met hard.
A sedan struck an e-scooter near 38 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan hit the scooter as both vehicles went straight. The e-scooter carried two people: a 33-year-old unlicensed male driver and a 19-year-old female passenger. Both were ejected. The woman suffered severe crush injuries to her leg and remained conscious on the asphalt. The scooter driver had minor head bleeding. Police listed 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The report notes the scooter driver was unlicensed. No helmet was used by the passenger, as stated in the narrative, but this is mentioned only after driver errors. The crash underscores the danger faced by vulnerable road users when drivers ignore traffic controls.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4534064,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Parked Sedan Crash Kills Driver on Powell Street▸A 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.
A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Woman Struck Crossing Atlantic Avenue Before Dawn▸A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.
A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
2Head-On Crash Shatters Two Drivers on Blake Avenue▸Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
A sedan slammed into an e-scooter at Rockaway Avenue. The unlicensed scooter driver and his 19-year-old passenger were thrown. Her leg was crushed. She lay conscious on the street. Police cited traffic control disregarded. Metal, flesh, and asphalt met hard.
A sedan struck an e-scooter near 38 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan hit the scooter as both vehicles went straight. The e-scooter carried two people: a 33-year-old unlicensed male driver and a 19-year-old female passenger. Both were ejected. The woman suffered severe crush injuries to her leg and remained conscious on the asphalt. The scooter driver had minor head bleeding. Police listed 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The report notes the scooter driver was unlicensed. No helmet was used by the passenger, as stated in the narrative, but this is mentioned only after driver errors. The crash underscores the danger faced by vulnerable road users when drivers ignore traffic controls.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4534064, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14
Parked Sedan Crash Kills Driver on Powell Street▸A 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.
A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Woman Struck Crossing Atlantic Avenue Before Dawn▸A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.
A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
2Head-On Crash Shatters Two Drivers on Blake Avenue▸Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
A 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.
A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14
Woman Struck Crossing Atlantic Avenue Before Dawn▸A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.
A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
2Head-On Crash Shatters Two Drivers on Blake Avenue▸Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.
A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14
2Head-On Crash Shatters Two Drivers on Blake Avenue▸Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-14
Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.
A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14