Heastie Delayed. Bronx Families Paid. Streets Still Bleed.

A Razor e-scooter struck a Honda SUV on Boston Road. Two riders flew from the scooter. A 28-year-old woman landed hard, her face torn open. Blood pooled as cars rolled by. Three SUV occupants also suffered injuries. Traffic control ignored.

A Razor e-scooter crashed into the side of a Honda SUV on Boston Road. Two people on the e-scooter were ejected. A 28-year-old woman, riding as a passenger, suffered severe facial lacerations and was thrown across the seat. According to the police report, 'A Razor e-scooter slammed into the side of a Honda SUV. A 28-year-old woman, unbelted, was thrown across the seat. Her face split open. She lay conscious, bleeding, as traffic rolled past.' Three SUV occupants, ages 20, 43, and 73, also reported injuries. Police list 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. No helmet or signal use is cited as a factor. The crash left multiple people hurt, with systemic failures at play.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4631072, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Two years after legalization, New York has no test for cannabis-impaired driving. Lawmakers set a high bar for prosecution. Training lags. Speaker Carl Heastie warns against overreach. Meanwhile, vulnerable road users face rising risk from unchecked stoned drivers.

On April 24, 2023, an editorial criticized New York’s lack of a reliable standard for cannabis-impaired driving. The piece, referencing Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (District 83), states: 'With no reliable standard, pot-impaired drivers a growing road hazard.' Lawmakers created a 'substantially impaired' threshold for DUI-cannabis, making lesser impairment only a traffic infraction. Drug recognition expert training has not kept pace with the rise in stoned drivers. Speaker Heastie cautioned against legislative 'overreach,' but the editorial argues leaders have failed to act. No committee or bill number is cited; this is a public statement, not legislation. The absence of clear enforcement standards leaves pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers exposed to drivers whose impairment goes unchecked.

• With no reliable standard, pot-impaired drivers a growing road hazard, nypost.com, Published 2023-04-24

A motorcycle sped down Boston Road. It hit an SUV turning left. The unlicensed rider flew off. His leg was torn away. He lay awake on the asphalt. The bike lay in pieces beside him. Unsafe speed shattered the street.

A violent crash erupted on Boston Road near East 212th Street in the Bronx. A motorcycle, driven by an unlicensed man, struck an SUV making a left turn. According to the police report, 'A speeding motorcycle slammed into an SUV turning left. The unlicensed rider flew through the air. His leg was torn off.' The rider suffered an amputation and remained conscious on the ground. No injuries were reported for the SUV driver. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. The motorcycle was demolished. The SUV sustained front-end damage. The crash exposes the deadly risk of unsafe speed on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4620580, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council Speaker Adrienne Adams sidestepped backing Sammy’s Law, which would let New York City set its own speed limits. As cyclist deaths mount, other council members press for action. Adams cites other priorities. Vulnerable road users remain exposed. Streets stay deadly.

On April 12, 2023, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams declined to support Sammy’s Law, a state bill allowing New York City to control its speed limits. The bill, named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a reckless driver in 2013, has stalled in Albany despite mounting pressure. Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez introduced a resolution urging passage, co-sponsored by Shahana Hanif and Lincoln Restler. Adams, however, said, 'We’re going to let the state do what the state does in response to Sammy’s Law,' and focused on other budget priorities. Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, chair of the Transportation Committee, called for pairing lower speed limits with street redesigns in neglected neighborhoods. As children and cyclists die in record numbers, the council’s inaction leaves vulnerable New Yorkers at risk. The law would not lower limits automatically, but grant the city authority to act.

• Speaker Adams Still Won’t Come Out in Support of Sammy’s Law, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-04-12

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie blocks a bill to expand bus and bike lane camera enforcement. Riders lose. Cars win. The Assembly stalls, ignoring data and advocates. Bus stops stay clogged. Vulnerable road users face more danger. The city waits.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and the state Assembly opposed a bill to expand bus-mounted and on-street enforcement cameras targeting drivers who block bus stops, no stopping zones, and bike lanes. The bill, supported by Governor Hochul and the state Senate, aimed to improve bus speeds and reliability. The Assembly declined to expand the program, citing a preference to keep policy out of the budget process. Heastie's spokesman, Mike Whyland, said, 'We generally did not include policy in our proposal.' Transit advocates and MTA officials argued that expanded enforcement would benefit riders and make buses more attractive. Danny Pearlstein of Riders Alliance criticized the Assembly, saying, 'If the state budget ignores the financial impact of slow buses on riders and our families... the people's house will have failed actual people.' The bill remains stalled, leaving bus riders and vulnerable road users exposed.

• Why Won’t Carl Heastie Back Expanded Camera Enforcement to Take On Bus Stop Blockers?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-24

A Ford SUV struck a 72-year-old man outside the crosswalk on East 233rd Street. The left bumper hit his head. He fell, unconscious, blood pooling on cold pavement. The street stood silent. No driver errors listed. The man was gravely hurt.

A Ford SUV hit a 72-year-old man outside the crosswalk on East 233rd Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'The left bumper hit his head. He lay unconscious on cold pavement, blood pooling, the gray street silent around him.' The pedestrian suffered a head injury and severe bleeding. The driver was licensed and traveling straight ahead. The police report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The data does not mention helmet use or signaling as a factor. The crash left a vulnerable road user severely injured, with the impact focused on the left front bumper of the SUV.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607633, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A woman, 52, stepped from a car on Edenwald Avenue. An SUV kept moving. The driver did not see her. The vehicle struck her leg. Blood pooled on the street. The driver failed to yield. The SUV showed no damage.

A 52-year-old woman was injured on Edenwald Avenue near Murdock Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, she was stepping down from a vehicle when a Nissan SUV, traveling straight, struck her. The woman suffered severe lacerations to her leg and remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The SUV showed no damage, and the driver did not stop. The woman was not at an intersection when hit. No mention of helmet or signaling as factors. The crash left blood on the street and a torn leg, underscoring the danger faced by pedestrians.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4612601, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 60-year-old man crossed East Gun Hill Road at night. Two SUVs hit him in quick succession. His head struck hard. His body broke. He died at the intersection. The street stayed silent. The city lost another pedestrian.

A 60-year-old man was killed while crossing East Gun Hill Road near White Plains Road in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was crossing against the signal when two SUVs, both traveling west, struck him in turn. The report states, 'Head shattered. Organs crushed. He lay still at the intersection. He died where he fell.' The only contributing factor listed in the data is 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion.' No driver errors or additional contributing factors are noted in the report. The drivers of both SUVs were licensed and remained at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4575019, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A box truck hit a man on a bike. His head split open. Blood pooled on the curb. The truck sped off. The street stayed silent. Drugs and distraction fueled the crash. The cyclist was left broken in the Bronx dawn.

A box truck struck a 35-year-old man riding a bike near 3957 Provost Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, the cyclist suffered a severe head injury and was ejected from his bike. The driver of the box truck continued straight ahead and did not remain at the scene. The report lists 'Drugs (illegal)' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the report, but only after the driver’s errors. The crash left the cyclist injured and the street marked by blood. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4557787, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A young woman rode south on Baychester. A distracted driver hit her from behind. Her arm split open. Blood pooled. She stayed conscious. Her bike broke. The street did not forgive.

A 24-year-old woman riding a bike south on Baychester Avenue near Needham Avenue in the Bronx was struck from behind and suffered severe lacerations to her arm. According to the police report, 'The driver was distracted.' The crash left the cyclist conscious but injured, with blood on the roadway and her bike damaged. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. No other contributing factors were cited. The data does not specify the involvement of helmets or signals. The crash underscores the danger posed by distracted driving to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4550352, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A car sped down East Gun Hill Road. It hit a 19-year-old man walking with traffic. He bled on the asphalt, semiconscious, pain everywhere. The car’s front end took him down. The street did not stop.

A 19-year-old pedestrian was struck and severely injured by a car on East Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. According to the police report, the car was traveling west at an unsafe speed when its front end hit the man, who was walking along the roadway with traffic. The impact left him semiconscious and bleeding, with injuries across his entire body. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions—speeding and aggression—created the danger. No helmet or signaling issues were cited for the pedestrian.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4540385, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Mayor Adams heads to Albany. He pushes for round-the-clock speed cameras and mayoral control of schools. Lawmakers stall. Streets stay dangerous at night. Advocates say limited camera hours fuel reckless driving. Albany debates, but time runs out. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.

On May 13, 2022, Mayor Adams traveled to Albany to press lawmakers on his legislative priorities. The push included extending mayoral control of New York City’s public schools and, crucially, allowing speed cameras to operate 24/7. The matter summary states: 'Topping the list for Adams is extending mayoral control of the city’s public schools and allowing speed cameras on city streets to operate 24/7.' State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie were key figures in these talks. Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez also lobbied for expanded speed camera authority. Despite Adams’s efforts, lawmakers showed little appetite for granting 'home rule'—the power for the city to control camera placement and hours. Advocates warn that restricting camera hours to weekdays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., leaves streets deadly at night. The legislative session neared its end with no breakthrough, leaving vulnerable road users exposed.

• NYC Mayor Adams heading to Albany next week for last ditch legislative push, nydailynews.com, Published 2022-05-13

A 51-year-old woman crossed Bouck Avenue in a marked crosswalk. An SUV turned left and hit her head with its bumper. She collapsed, unconscious, and died on the pavement. The driver failed to yield. The street stayed silent.

A 51-year-old woman was killed while crossing Bouck Avenue near Burke Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, she was in a marked crosswalk when a westbound SUV turned left and struck her head with its front bumper. She suffered internal injuries and died at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver, a 32-year-old man, was licensed and uninjured. No other injuries were reported. The woman was crossing with no signal present, but the police report centers the driver's failure to yield as the cause of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4523147, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Albany lawmakers dropped Hochul’s plan to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and dodging tolls. No new transit money. No tougher penalties. Riders left waiting. Drivers keep blocking. The city’s slowest buses stay slow. Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

On March 15, 2022, the New York State Assembly and Senate released one-house budget proposals. Both left out Governor Hochul’s measures to increase fines for blocking bus lanes, raise penalties for toll evasion and defaced plates, and boost transit funding. The matter: 'State legislators used their budget proposals to prioritize drivers blocking bus lanes and evading tolls, omitting Gov. Hochul's proposals to raise fines for blocking bus lanes and increase penalties for toll evasion and defaced license plates.' Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie defended stripping policy from the budget. Riders Alliance’s Danny Pearlstein slammed the move: 'No increase in subway or bus service for millions of riders, no enhanced enforcement in the city with the slowest buses in the country.' The Senate promised to revisit bus lane enforcement later. Advocates doubted action would follow. The legislature’s inaction leaves vulnerable road users exposed, with no relief from blocked bus lanes or reckless drivers.

• State Pols: Go Ahead, Drive In Bus Lanes and Don’t Pay Tolls — See If We’re Going to Do Anything About It, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-03-15

A man stood off the road. A vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, pain twisting his gut. Death crept in. The Bronx pavement stayed silent.

A 56-year-old man was struck by a vehicle near 3550 Conner Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the man was not in the roadway when the vehicle hit him. His hip shattered. He lay in the street, showing signs of apparent death. The report does not list any driver errors or contributing factors. No information is provided about the vehicle or driver. The police narrative describes the man’s pain and the silent aftermath on the pavement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501114, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15