Morgan Avenue: Blood on the Asphalt, Silence from City Hall

Apr 30 - A stolen Porsche sped through Brooklyn. Police set a roadblock. The car veered toward officers. One fired. The driver, struck, crashed again and died at the hospital. The chase ended in Starrett City. No officers or passengers were reported hurt.

Gothamist reported on April 30, 2025, that NYPD officers shot and killed a man driving a stolen Porsche after a chase on the Belt Parkway. Police said the driver, spotted near Brighton Beach, "maneuvered onto the service road in [the] direction of several officers who set up a roadblock to stop this vehicle." When the driver "veered toward one of the officers and nearly hit him," an officer fired, striking the driver. The car continued another mile before crashing again. The driver died at Brookdale Hospital. The incident was captured on police body cameras. Officers were treated at local hospitals but not injured. The article notes this was the fourth fatal police shooting by NYPD in 2025. The event highlights risks of high-speed chases and the dangers posed by fleeing vehicles near roadblocks.

• Police Shoot Driver After Parkway Chase, Gothamist, Published 2025-04-30

Apr 29 - SUV struck cyclist on Manhattan Ave. Police cite driver inattention. Cyclist suffered arm injury. Metal met flesh. Streets stayed loud.

A Ford SUV and a cyclist collided at Manhattan Ave and Withers St in Brooklyn. The 24-year-old cyclist was injured, suffering a contusion and arm trauma. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' was listed as a contributing factor. The SUV’s right side doors took the impact. The cyclist, riding west, was not using safety equipment. No injuries were reported for the SUV occupants. The crash highlights the risk when drivers lose focus behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809053 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 29 - Council members slammed NYPD brass for denying racial bias in traffic enforcement. Data shows Black drivers face more searches and arrests. NYPD blamed crime patterns. Lawmakers called it an excuse. The city’s history of biased policing loomed large.

On April 29, 2025, the City Council held an oversight hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement and racial bias. Council Members Yusef Salaam, Tiffany Caban, and Lincoln Restler pressed NYPD Director Joshua Levin about stark racial disparities. The matter: 'Council members criticized NYPD leadership over racial disparities in traffic enforcement after the department refused to acknowledge evidence of bias.' Restler called the disparity 'extreme.' Caban said, 'Black and brown people are being beaten up, searched, arrested, 10 times more than white people.' The NYPD claimed disparities stem from policing high-crime areas. Lawmakers rejected this, citing data showing Black and Latinx drivers are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested. The hearing referenced the city’s long record of racially biased enforcement, including jaywalking laws once used to target Black and Latinx New Yorkers. Experts, including the NYCLU, say the Adams administration’s surge in traffic stops continues a pattern of racist policing.

• Council Pols Fume as NYPD Disputes Report of Racial Bias in Traffic Enforcement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-29

Apr 28 - SUV turned right, struck cyclist riding straight. Cyclist thrown, bruised, shoulder hit. Police cite driver inattention and failure to yield. Danger at the intersection, pain on the pavement.

A Jeep SUV made a right turn on McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn and struck a 31-year-old cyclist traveling straight. The cyclist was partially ejected and suffered a shoulder injury and bruising. According to the police report, both 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' contributed to the crash. The cyclist was not using safety equipment, as noted in the report, but driver errors were the primary factors. The impact left the cyclist conscious but hurt, underscoring the risks faced by vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4810071 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 28 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-28

Apr 28 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-28

Apr 25 - Box truck struck sedan’s rear on Ainslie Street. Two passengers hurt: one with neck pain, one with head abrasion. Both vehicles going straight. Police cite other vehicular factors. Brooklyn street, early morning crash.

A box truck hit the rear of a sedan on 31 Ainslie Street in Brooklyn. Two passengers in the sedan were injured: a 36-year-old woman suffered neck pain and nausea, and a 25-year-old woman had a head abrasion. According to the police report, both vehicles were traveling straight ahead when the crash occurred. The report lists 'Other Vehicular' as the contributing factor for both drivers. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Both injured passengers were wearing lap belts. The crash highlights the danger for vehicle occupants even when traveling straight on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807984 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 25 - A Yamaha motorcycle hit Breanna Henderson as she crossed Woodhaven Boulevard before dawn. She died at Jamaica Hospital. The rider stayed. The street stayed open. The city stayed dangerous.

NY Daily News reported on April 25, 2025, that Breanna Henderson, 23, was killed crossing Myrtle Avenue at Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens around 2:20 a.m. A 34-year-old man riding a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle northbound in the center lane struck her. Police said, "The motorcyclist remained at the scene." Henderson was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. The crash highlights the persistent risk for pedestrians on wide, high-speed corridors like Woodhaven Boulevard. No information was provided about charges or contributing factors, but the fatal impact underscores the dangers faced by people crossing major city streets.

• Motorcycle Kills Pedestrian On Woodhaven Blvd, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-25

Apr 24 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - Council bill orders NYPD to check temp plates and VINs. Cops must publish parking enforcement reports. Bill sits in Public Safety. Streets stay risky while data hides in shadows.

Int 1252-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced April 24, 2025. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to police department parking enforcement.' Council Members Farah N. Louis (primary), Oswald Feliz, Justin L. Brannan, Lincoln Restler, Robert F. Holden, and Chris Banks sponsor the measure. It forces NYPD to verify license plates and VINs on vehicles with temp tags or those ticketed for violations. NYPD must also publish quarterly parking enforcement reports. No safety analyst has assessed the bill's impact on vulnerable road users.

• File Int 1252-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 24 - A 101-year-old woman crossed with the light. An SUV turned left. The driver was unlicensed. She died days later. Her family mourns. The street remains the same.

According to the New York Post (April 24, 2025), Taibel Brod, 101, was fatally struck by a 2023 GMC Yukon while crossing Brooklyn Avenue at Montgomery Street in Crown Heights. Police say Brod had the light. The driver, Menachem Shagalow, 65, was unlicensed and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and failure to exercise due care. The article quotes Brod's grandson: "She was extremely independent till her last day." Brod died less than two weeks after the crash. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians, especially from unlicensed drivers. Shagalow was released with a desk appearance ticket. The case underscores persistent gaps in enforcement and street design that leave vulnerable road users exposed.

• Unlicensed Driver Kills Brooklyn Matriarch, New York Post, Published 2025-04-24

Apr 23 - Concrete mixer struck sedan from behind in Brooklyn. One driver injured, chest hit. Police cite driver inattention and following too closely. Heavy machines, quick impact, pain left behind.

A concrete mixer rear-ended a sedan at 737 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn. One driver, a 32-year-old woman, suffered a chest injury and shock. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Following Too Closely.' The concrete mixer hit the sedan's rear, damaging bumpers and sending pain through metal. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report lists no other contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808265 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 23 - A pick-up truck door flung open on Broadway. A young cyclist hit it, thrown hard, shoulder scraped raw. The truck driver failed to watch. The street stayed dangerous.

A 22-year-old woman riding a bike was injured when she struck the left side doors of a parked pick-up truck on Broadway at Graham Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Passing Too Closely.' The cyclist was ejected and suffered abrasions to her upper arm and shoulder. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor, but the truck driver's inattention and close passing are called out first. No other injuries were specified.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807836 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 23 - A taxi slammed into a van on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Three people suffered bruises and whiplash. Police cite following too closely and reaction to another vehicle as causes.

A taxi and a van collided on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Three people were injured: a 34-year-old female driver, a 55-year-old male passenger, and a 59-year-old female passenger. Injuries included back contusions, whiplash, and shoulder bruises. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' and 'Following Too Closely.' These driver errors led to the impact. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. All injured parties were conscious at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807523 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 23 - Taibel Brod crossed with the light. The SUV turned left, struck her. She fell. Two weeks later, she died. The driver had no license. Police charged him. The street stayed open. The city moved on.

NY Daily News reported on April 23, 2025, that Taibel Brod, 101, was killed after an SUV hit her while she crossed Montgomery St. in Crown Heights with the walk signal. The driver, Menachem Shagalow, turned left without a license and struck Brod. Police charged him with aggravated unlicensed operation and failure to exercise due care. The article quotes Brod’s son, who called the crash a "tragedy." Brod died from her injuries nearly two weeks later. The case highlights persistent dangers for pedestrians, especially from unlicensed drivers and left turns at intersections. No changes to the street were reported.

• Unlicensed SUV Driver Kills Brooklyn Elder, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-23

Apr 22 - A Honda sedan struck two teens on a bike at Driggs and N 9th. The unlicensed driver looked away. Both teens were thrown, bleeding, left in shock. The street bore witness. The car did not stop.

A Honda sedan hit a bike carrying two 16-year-olds at Driggs Avenue and North 9th Street in Brooklyn. Both teens suffered severe head and chest injuries, partially ejected and left bleeding. According to the police report, the sedan's unlicensed driver looked away and disregarded traffic control. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The sedan's center front end struck the bike. No safety equipment was used. The crash left the teens in shock, the night echoing with their pain.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807776 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19