Five dead in AD 73. The streets keep taking.

AD 73: Jan 1, 2022 - Aug 26, 2025

Two men on bikes died on Fifth at 51st in mid‑afternoon. The city file lists both as 67. A parked SUV sat on the block. Time of crash: 3:05 p.m. Source: city crash log.

A bus struck a 39‑year‑old man near 5th and East 51st. Not in the roadway, the record says. Time: 9:34 p.m. The bus had New York plates. City data.

On East 59th, an 81‑year‑old woman was killed by a 2023 Ford SUV. The driver is marked “Unlicensed” in the state log. City dataset.

A 28‑year‑old woman on a bike was crushed by a truck on Madison at East 85th. A 28‑year‑old man on a bike died on 2nd Avenue just after midnight. NYC Open Data.

These are not scenes. They are names we do not get. They are dates and hours and body parts listed as “Head,” “Abdomen,” “Entire Body.” The form says “Killed.” It does not say why.

Where the street bites

Since 2022, this district logged 3,877 crashes, with 2,033 injuries and 8 deaths. Bicyclists: 5 dead, 509 hurt. Pedestrians: 3 dead, 541 hurt. District rollup.

The map points to Park Avenue and 2nd Avenue. Park shows 57 injuries and 5 serious injuries. Second shows 101 injuries and one death. Top locations in the dataset.

The clock shows pain peaking after school and before dinner. The 3 p.m. hour carries 3 deaths and 136 injuries. Noon through 5 p.m. is a steady line of harm. Hourly counts.

SUVs and cars hit most walkers. Two pedestrian deaths and 147 total pedestrian casualties tie to SUVs. Trucks and buses add a third death and 44 more. Vehicle breakdown.

A scaffold shakes, a block wakes up

On Madison between 84th and 85th, a car and an SUV hit. One vehicle plowed into scaffolding. Eight people were hurt. None critically, reporters said. “There is no word on the cause… No charges have been filed.” ABC7.

Elsewhere in Midtown, a driver fleeing police smashed into cars and a cruiser. “It felt like he was scratching like big noise… Why didn’t he stop?” a witness said. The suspect faces charges including assault and reckless endangerment. ABC7.

Fifth Avenue will be rebuilt. Sidewalks widened. Space for people, not lanes for speed. The city put more than $400 million on the line. amNY and NY1 reported the plan and the pushback.

What the numbers demand

Contributing factors in this district list “other” atop the pile: 4 deaths, 861 injuries. “Inattention/distraction” is next among recorded causes with 64 injuries. Vulnerable road user “error” is coded in two deaths and 95 injuries. The form is blunt. The outcomes are the same. Local analysis.

Hot hours, hot corners. Harden them. Daylight the crosswalks. Give people a head start at the signal. Pinch turns with plastic and stone. Park trucks away from the corners on Park, Lexington, 1st, and East 59th. Repeat where the blood pools.

Heavy vehicles do heavy harm here: trucks and buses account for a pedestrian death and dozens of injuries. Target them. Set routes. Enforce turning speed.

The law, the lever, the next call

Albany extended 24‑hour school‑zone camera protections and cleaned up the rules this June. S 8344 passed. That keeps the lens on speed.

There is a bill to fit repeat speeders with limiters. The Assembly file says install intelligent speed assistance after enough points or camera tickets. A 2299.

The city plans to widen Fifth. Electeds demand the city also open the long‑promised Queensboro Bridge walkway. “The reasons given for this delay are not satisfactory,” lawmakers wrote to the mayor. “Any further delays… will unnecessarily put at risk the thousands of New Yorkers who cycle and walk the current shared path every day.” Streetsblog.

This district’s year‑to‑date toll is worse than last year’s: 759 crashes vs. 599, 420 injuries vs. 356, and four dead where there had been none. Period stats.

Lower speed saves life. The bills are in motion. The bodies already were.

What you can do

Push for lower speeds on every block and limiters for the worst drivers. Start here: take action.