Three Dead, 254 Hurt: Lower the Speed, Save a Life
AD 67: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025
The Toll on the Streets
A man steps off the curb. A cyclist pedals through the light. A child waits at the corner. In Assembly District 67, these moments end in blood too often. In the last twelve months, three people died and seven were left with serious injuries on these streets. Two of the dead were over 55. One was over 75. 254 people were hurt. The numbers do not flinch. They do not care about age or time of day. They keep coming.
Cars and SUVs hit hardest. In this district, SUVs and sedans caused the most deaths and injuries. Trucks, bikes, and mopeds left their own scars. The dead do not get to tell their stories. The living carry them.
Leadership: Action and Delay
Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal has stood up for change. She backed Sammy’s Law, which lets New York City lower speed limits to 20 mph. She co-sponsored bills to require safer street designs and force speed limiters on repeat offenders. She voted yes on school speed cameras. These are steps. They are not the finish line.
But the city moves slow. Sammy’s Law passed, but the speed limit has not dropped. Cameras catch speeders, but the law that keeps them running is always at risk. Each delay is a risk. Each risk is a name on a slab.
What Comes Next
The crisis is not over. Three dead in a year is not safety. The numbers are not just numbers. They are mothers, sons, neighbors. The city has the power to slow the cars. It has the power to harden the streets. It has the power to save lives. It must use it.
Call your council member. Call the mayor. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand more cameras. Demand streets that put people first.
Do not wait for another name to be carved in stone. Act now.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4589347, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
- Albany lawmakers set to pass Sammy’s Law, allow NYC to lower speed limit to 20 mph, amny.com, Published 2024-04-18
- File A 324, Open States, Published 2025-01-01
- File A 2299, Open States, Published 2025-01-17
- File A 7652, Open States, Published 2024-06-07
- Tuesday’s Headlines: Stop Super Speeders Edition, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-03
- Lawmakers to allow NYC to lower speed limit to 20 mph, gothamist.com, Published 2024-04-18
- Déjà-Vu All Over Again: Assembly Balks on ‘Sammy’s Law,’ Bill Sponsor Silent, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-03-13
- New Year, New Opportunity to Pass ‘Sammy’s Law’, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-12-18
▸ Other Geographies
AD 67 Assembly District 67 sits in Manhattan, Precinct 20, District 6.
It contains Upper West Side-Lincoln Square.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Assembly District 67
E-Bike Runs Light, Pedestrian Gashed on West 55th▸Steel met flesh on West 55th. An e-bike blew through the light. A man stood in the street. The bike struck him hard. Blood streaked his face. He stayed conscious. The street stayed still. The city moved on.
A 44-year-old man was injured on West 55th Street in Manhattan when an e-bike traveling east disregarded a traffic signal and struck him. According to the police report, the e-bike 'sped east through the light.' The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to his face but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The crash did not occur at an intersection. No mention of helmet use or signaling is included in the report. The incident highlights the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls and fail to pay attention.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4526326,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Distracted SUV Hits Woman Crossing Broadway▸A westbound SUV struck a 65-year-old woman crossing with the signal at West 79th and Broadway. The left bumper hit her hip. Blood pooled on the street. She stayed conscious. The driver was distracted. The city’s danger showed in steel and blood.
A 65-year-old woman was hit by a westbound SUV while crossing Broadway at West 79th Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when the SUV’s left bumper struck her hip, causing severe bleeding. The driver, a 75-year-old woman, was listed as distracted at the time of the crash. The report states: “The driver was distracted.” The official contributing factor is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The pedestrian’s actions—crossing with the signal—are not listed as a cause. The SUV’s impact left the woman injured and conscious at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4506835,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Steel met flesh on West 55th. An e-bike blew through the light. A man stood in the street. The bike struck him hard. Blood streaked his face. He stayed conscious. The street stayed still. The city moved on.
A 44-year-old man was injured on West 55th Street in Manhattan when an e-bike traveling east disregarded a traffic signal and struck him. According to the police report, the e-bike 'sped east through the light.' The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to his face but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The crash did not occur at an intersection. No mention of helmet use or signaling is included in the report. The incident highlights the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls and fail to pay attention.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4526326, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
Distracted SUV Hits Woman Crossing Broadway▸A westbound SUV struck a 65-year-old woman crossing with the signal at West 79th and Broadway. The left bumper hit her hip. Blood pooled on the street. She stayed conscious. The driver was distracted. The city’s danger showed in steel and blood.
A 65-year-old woman was hit by a westbound SUV while crossing Broadway at West 79th Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when the SUV’s left bumper struck her hip, causing severe bleeding. The driver, a 75-year-old woman, was listed as distracted at the time of the crash. The report states: “The driver was distracted.” The official contributing factor is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The pedestrian’s actions—crossing with the signal—are not listed as a cause. The SUV’s impact left the woman injured and conscious at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4506835,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A westbound SUV struck a 65-year-old woman crossing with the signal at West 79th and Broadway. The left bumper hit her hip. Blood pooled on the street. She stayed conscious. The driver was distracted. The city’s danger showed in steel and blood.
A 65-year-old woman was hit by a westbound SUV while crossing Broadway at West 79th Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, she was crossing with the signal when the SUV’s left bumper struck her hip, causing severe bleeding. The driver, a 75-year-old woman, was listed as distracted at the time of the crash. The report states: “The driver was distracted.” The official contributing factor is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The pedestrian’s actions—crossing with the signal—are not listed as a cause. The SUV’s impact left the woman injured and conscious at the scene. No other injuries were reported.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4506835, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15