Brooklyn Streets Bleed—Who Will Stop the Killing?

A Ram truck plowed into a man crossing Atlantic Avenue. The front end smashed his face. Blood pooled on the asphalt. He stayed conscious, pain sharp in the night. Driver distraction left flesh torn and the street marked.

A 38-year-old man was struck by a Ram truck while crossing Atlantic Avenue, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 23:32 near Council District 35. The report states the truck’s front end crushed the pedestrian’s face, leaving him with severe lacerations, though he remained conscious. Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the sole contributing factor. The vehicle, registered in North Carolina, was traveling east and struck the pedestrian outside a crosswalk. The police report makes no mention of pedestrian error as a contributing factor, focusing entirely on the driver’s distraction. The incident underscores the ongoing threat posed by inattentive drivers on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4709459, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Mercedes sat parked on Fulton Street. It rolled forward, silent and slow, into a box truck. The woman inside, 56, never moved again. Her seatbelt held her. The truck bore no mark. Death came quiet, unannounced.

According to the police report, a parked Mercedes sedan rolled forward near 777 Fulton Street in Brooklyn at 9:04 a.m. The car struck a box truck, which sustained no visible damage. The sole occupant of the Mercedes, a 56-year-old woman, was found dead inside, still restrained by her lap belt. The report states, 'A parked Mercedes rolled forward into a box truck. The woman inside, 56, never moved again. Her seatbelt held her still. The truck bore no mark. The street stayed quiet. Death came without a sound.' No contributing factors were specified for either vehicle or driver. The data lists the cause as 'Unspecified.' The box truck was parked and undamaged. The focus remains on the unexplained movement of the parked vehicle and the fatal outcome for its driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4703686, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man rode north on Rogers Avenue. The pavement broke beneath him. He flew from his e-bike. His head struck the street. Blood pooled on the asphalt. He died there, alone, in the morning light.

A 37-year-old man riding an e-bike north on Rogers Avenue was killed after hitting defective pavement. According to the police report, the rider was ejected from his bike, struck his head, and died from severe bleeding. The report lists 'Pavement Defective' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The crash caused fatal head injuries. The police note the rider was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after the systemic hazard of broken pavement. No other vehicles or people were involved. The street failed him. The city failed him.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4692318, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan turned left on Franklin Avenue. An e-bike rider kept straight. Metal struck flesh. The rider, 48, flew and landed hard. His leg crushed. He lay conscious, broken, in the sun. The car showed no damage.

An e-bike and a sedan collided on Franklin Avenue. The sedan turned left while the e-bike continued straight. According to the police report, 'Metal met flesh. The rider, 48, flew. His leg crushed beneath him. No helmet. No damage to the car. He lay conscious, broken, on the sunlit street.' The e-bike rider suffered crush injuries to his leg and was ejected from his bike. Police listed 'Outside Car Distraction' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The report notes the rider was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after the driver’s errors. The sedan sustained no damage. The crash left the cyclist injured and conscious on the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4658510, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A van turned right on Rogers Avenue. A 72-year-old woman crossed with the signal. Metal hit flesh. She fell hard. Blood spread on the street. The driver kept going. She lay broken, bleeding, in shock.

A van struck a 72-year-old woman as she crossed Rogers Avenue with the signal. According to the police report, the van was making a right turn when it hit the pedestrian, causing severe bleeding and injuries to her entire body. The report states, 'A van turned right. A 72-year-old woman crossed with the signal. Metal struck her body. She fell. Blood pooled on the pavement. The man drove on.' The listed contributing factor is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The driver did not stop. The woman suffered serious injuries and was left in shock. No mention of helmet or signal use is listed as a contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648531, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Brooklyn officials demand equal tolls on all Manhattan crossings. They warn free bridges funnel traffic into certain neighborhoods. Their letter calls for fairness. The MTA stays silent. The Traffic Mobility Review Board will decide. Streets hang in the balance.

On July 18, 2023, Council Member Shahana Hanif and other Brooklyn officials called for 'equalized tolling on all crossings into Manhattan' as congestion pricing nears. Their letter to the Traffic Mobility Review Board states: 'No one community should disproportionately bear the burden of the cars and trucks passing through their neighborhood.' Hanif, along with Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés, Jennifer Gutiérrez, and Crystal Hudson, joined borough, state, and federal colleagues in this push. They propose a credit system to balance costs between DOT bridges and MTA tunnels, aiming to protect neighborhoods like the Brooklyn waterfront and the BQE corridor from traffic surges. The MTA declined comment. The Board will soon set final toll rates and rules. The federal government has approved the congestion pricing plan, with tolls for cars expected between $9 and $23. Over 100 exemption requests, including from taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers, are under review.

• Pols call for ‘equalized tolling’ on all crossings into Manhattan under congestion pricing on eve of board deliberations, amny.com, Published 2023-07-18

Night on Bedford Avenue. An SUV’s bumper slams a cyclist. The man flies, arm torn, blood pooling. He lies conscious, hand shattered, pain sharp under streetlights. The driver, distracted, keeps the engine running. Metal and flesh meet. The street remembers.

A 28-year-old cyclist was struck by a northbound SUV on Bedford Avenue at 10:30 p.m. The impact threw him from his bike. He suffered severe bleeding and a shattered hand and arm but remained conscious at the scene. According to the police report, 'the driver was distracted.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The SUV’s left front bumper hit the cyclist, who was ejected. No other contributing factors are noted in the data. The crash left the cyclist injured and bleeding on the pavement, while the SUV showed damage to its left front bumper.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4644102, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 17-year-old rode north on Bedford Avenue. He struck a parked SUV. His neck was crushed. He wore no helmet. The street was quiet. Blood pooled. He stayed awake. Driver inattention marked the crash.

A 17-year-old male riding a motorcycle north on Bedford Avenue collided with a parked SUV. According to the police report, 'A 17-year-old on a motorcycle struck a parked SUV. No helmet. His neck crushed. He stayed awake. The street was quiet. The boy bled alone.' The teen suffered crush injuries to his neck but remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The data also notes the absence of a helmet, but only after driver inattention. No other people were injured. The SUV was parked and unoccupied. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4629777, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A BMW sped east on Eastern Parkway. The driver lost focus. Metal smashed. The driver’s leg crushed. Two passengers hurt. Rain slicked the road. Three injured. The night echoed with the sound of steel.

A BMW sedan crashed on Eastern Parkway near Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the 24-year-old driver became distracted and lost control. The car struck an object, crushing the driver’s leg. Two passengers were also injured. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Pavement Slippery' as contributing factors. The BMW’s left side doors took the brunt of the impact. All three occupants were hurt. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left three people injured inside the car.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4625853, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A motorscooter hit a 64-year-old woman as she crossed Nostrand Avenue with the signal. Her face burned. She stayed conscious. The scooter slammed into a stopped Jeep. Driver inattention cut through the morning. Flesh met steel. Pain lingered.

A 64-year-old woman was crossing Nostrand Avenue with the signal when a southbound motorscooter struck her. According to the police report, her face was burned but she remained conscious. The motorscooter then crashed into a stopped Jeep. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The woman suffered severe facial burns. No injuries were reported for the drivers or passengers of the Jeep or motorscooter. The police report makes clear: driver inattention led to this harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4622067, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A woman turned left on her bike. A chassis cab hit her with its right front. She flew. Blood poured from her leg. She stayed awake. The truck rolled on, unmarked. Her knee did not.

A 40-year-old woman riding a bike was struck by a chassis cab on Navy Street near Nassau Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the cyclist was making a left turn when the truck hit her with its right front quarter panel. She was ejected from her bike, suffering severe bleeding and injury to her knee and lower leg, but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The truck showed no damage. The cyclist was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the crash was caused by driver inattention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4611231, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Eighteen Brooklyn officials demand state DOT address BQE’s full deadly stretch. They reject piecemeal fixes. They call out decades of harm. The state’s refusal leaves neighborhoods exposed. The city’s hands are tied. The highway’s danger remains. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.

On February 10, 2023, eighteen Brooklyn lawmakers issued a joint letter demanding New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) participate in comprehensive planning for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). The statement, prompted by a Streetsblog report, reads: "We ask that the NYS DOT remember the daily harms caused by the BQE in its current state—not just the crumbling cantilever section—and join us at the table in search of a solution." The group includes Reps. Nydia Velázquez, Dan Goldman, Borough President Antonio Reynoso, state Sens. Jabari Brisport, Julia Salazar, Kristen Gonzalez, Andrew Gounardes, Assembly Members Bobby Carroll, Maritza Davila, Phara Souffrant Forrest, Emily Gallagher, Jo Anne Simon, Marcela Mitaynes, and Council Members Alexa Avilés, Shahana Hanif, Crystal Hudson, Jennifer Gutiérrez, and Lincoln Restler. Senator Gounardes called the state’s refusal to join the city’s visioning process “unacceptable and irresponsible.” The lawmakers stress that the BQE’s harms—crashes, pollution, division—stretch from Bay Ridge to Greenpoint. Without state action, only city-owned segments see attention. The city’s efforts are limited. The state’s inaction leaves systemic danger unaddressed.

• Brooklyn Pols Demand the State ‘Come to the Table’ on the BQE, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-10

A Dodge turned left on Bedford. A cyclist rode straight. Metal struck flesh. The rider’s arm split open. Blood ran down his hand. He stayed upright. The driver was distracted. The street bore witness.

A crash on Bedford Avenue involved a Dodge sedan making a left turn and a man riding a bike straight ahead. The cyclist, age 30, suffered a severe arm injury with heavy bleeding but did not fall or lose consciousness. According to the police report, 'The driver was looking elsewhere.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors. The sedan’s right rear bumper struck the cyclist. No other serious injuries were reported among the car’s occupants. The cyclist was not using safety equipment, but the primary fault lies with the driver’s inattention, as documented in the official report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4585767, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Ford SUV struck a 48-year-old man crossing Fulton Street. The front end crumpled. The man died on the pavement. Police say the driver had been drinking. Alcohol fueled the crash. The street stayed silent after.

A Ford SUV traveling west on Fulton Street struck a 48-year-old man who was crossing outside a crosswalk. According to the police report, 'A Ford SUV hit a 48-year-old man crossing outside the crosswalk. The front end caved in. His body broke. He died there. The driver, a woman, had been drinking.' The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries to his entire body and died at the scene. The driver, a 29-year-old woman, was injured. The police report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor for both the driver and the crash. The impact was to the center front end of the SUV. No other contributing factors are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4574563, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A box truck turned left at Flushing and Bedford. The driver failed to yield. A 63-year-old man crossed with the signal. Steel struck flesh. The truck crushed him. He died in the street. The truck showed no damage.

A 63-year-old man was killed at the corner of Flushing Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a box truck turned left and struck the pedestrian as he crossed with the signal. The report states, “A box truck turned left. A 63-year-old man walked with the light. The truck struck him. His body crushed beneath steel.” The listed contributing factor is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The truck’s driver, a 44-year-old man, was licensed and made a left turn when the crash occurred. The pedestrian suffered fatal crush injuries. No damage was reported to the truck. The crash highlights the deadly consequences when drivers fail to yield to people in the crosswalk.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4570143, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A cyclist slammed into a parked SUV on Fulton Street. The rider flew off the bike, bleeding from the arm. The driver, a 57-year-old woman, never moved. Her view was blocked. When they opened the door, she was gone.

A cyclist collided with the side of a parked SUV near 926 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. The crash left the 37-year-old cyclist injured, bleeding from the arm. According to the police report, the SUV driver, a 57-year-old woman, was sitting behind the wheel with her view obstructed. She did not move during the crash and was later found unresponsive. The report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' as a contributing factor. No driver errors such as speeding or failure to yield were cited. The data does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the danger when visibility is blocked and large vehicles line city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4569091, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A northbound Audi SUV struck a 13-year-old boy on Clinton Avenue. The boy was not in a crosswalk. His leg was crushed. He stayed conscious. The driver did not stop. The street went quiet. Morning light fell on brick and asphalt.

A 13-year-old boy was hit by a northbound Audi SUV near 537 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the boy was not at a crosswalk when the SUV struck him with its front end, crushing his leg. The boy remained conscious after the impact. The driver did not stop and left the scene. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are detailed in the data. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash left the street silent in the morning light.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4568866, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Jeep turned right on Navy Street. A man on a bike rode straight. The Jeep’s bumper caught his leg. He crashed hard. His hip split open. Blood pooled on the street. He stayed awake, helmet cracked, pain sharp.

A crash on Navy Street left a 42-year-old man on a bike badly hurt. According to the police report, a Jeep turned right while the cyclist went straight. The Jeep’s bumper struck the cyclist’s leg. He fell, suffering severe lacerations and a split hip. Blood pooled as he lay conscious, his helmet cracked. The driver of the Jeep and another occupant were not reported injured. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The cyclist’s helmet is noted only after the collision. No driver errors are specified in the data. The impact left the cyclist with serious injuries while the Jeep sustained damage to its right side doors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4567065, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Dodge SUV hit a man in the crosswalk near midnight. The impact was head-on. Blood pooled. The man could not speak. The driver fled. The street stood silent, holding the aftermath.

A 45-year-old man was struck by a Dodge SUV while crossing at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn just before midnight. According to the police report, 'The Dodge SUV struck him head-on. His head bled. He could not speak. The driver did not stop.' The pedestrian suffered a severe head injury and was incoherent at the scene. The SUV’s center front end took the impact. The driver left without rendering aid. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor for both driver and pedestrian. No other injuries were reported among the vehicle occupants. The report does not mention helmet use or turn signals as factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4552201, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A motorcycle hit a young woman head-on on Fulton Street. She bled from the skull. The rider did not stop. Sirens rose as she lay still. Both the pedestrian and the rider were injured. The street held the aftermath.

A 19-year-old woman was struck by a motorcycle while crossing Fulton Street near Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A 19-year-old woman stepped into the street against the light. A motorcycle hit her head-on. She bled from the skull. The rider did not stop.' The pedestrian suffered a severe head injury and was left bleeding on the asphalt. The 49-year-old motorcycle rider was ejected and suffered a shoulder contusion. No specific driver errors were listed in the report. The rider was wearing a helmet, as noted in the data. The crash left both the pedestrian and the rider injured, with emergency response arriving as the scene unfolded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4539489, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14