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

Feb 22 - A 2023 SUV made an improper left turn on Wythe Avenue in Brooklyn. It struck the right rear quarter panel of a southbound 2012 sedan. Two 23-year-old rear-seat passengers suffered neck and head injuries. Driver distraction played a key role.

According to the police report, a 2023 Buick SUV was making a left turn on Wythe Avenue when it collided with the right rear quarter panel of a 2012 Toyota sedan traveling straight south. The crash injured two 23-year-old passengers seated in the middle rear seats of the sedan. Both passengers were conscious but suffered whiplash, with neck and head injuries reported. The report lists driver errors as 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Turning Improperly' for the SUV driver. The sedan driver was going straight and not cited for errors. Neither passenger was ejected. The report does not mention safety equipment or pedestrian involvement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607710 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 22 - A flatbed truck turned left on Boerum Street. The front end struck a 70-year-old woman working in the road. Her arm was crushed. Blood soaked her sleeve. She stood in shock. The truck’s engine idled. The street stayed silent.

A 70-year-old woman was working in the roadway on Boerum Street when a flatbed truck turned left and struck her with its front end. According to the police report, 'the front end crushed her arm. She stood in shock, blood rising through her sleeve, the engine still warm behind her.' The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors by the driver. The woman suffered crush injuries to her upper arm and shoulder. No helmet or signal use is mentioned as a factor. The crash highlights the danger posed by large vehicles moving at unsafe speeds near people working in the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607999 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 22 - City delays overhaul of commercial trash pickup. Streets stay dangerous. Trucks keep killing. Councilmember Restler slams the slow pace. Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso demands worker safety. The pilot starts late 2024. Full reform waits. Lives hang in the balance.

Bill 2019, the commercial waste zone reform, faces another setback. The Department of Sanitation announced on February 22, 2023, that the citywide overhaul will not begin until late 2024, with a pilot program in one zone. The reform, first set under Mayor de Blasio, aims to fix inefficiency, worker mistreatment, environmental harm, and traffic carnage. The matter summary notes at least 43 deaths and 107 injuries from commercial garbage trucks in nine years. Councilmember Lincoln Restler called the timeline 'extremely slow' and said delays undermine the law's worker and environmental justice goals. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, sponsor of the 2019 bill, stressed that safety improvements for workers are essential and overdue. The pilot zone is still undetermined. Full implementation will roll out across 20 zones over two years, but for now, the danger remains.

• Overhaul of private trash pickup in NYC delayed until 2024, gothamist.com, Published 2023-02-22

Feb 21 - The BQE slices through North Brooklyn, choking streets with noise and fumes. City leaders have tools to force state DOT to the table but hold back. Advocates demand Adams use his power. The highway’s shadow falls hardest on those walking and biking nearby.

This opinion piece, published February 21, 2023, calls on Mayor Adams to wield the city’s legal leverage over the state Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). The article, titled 'Mayor Adams Has Leverage to Force a Reluctant State DOT to Budge on the BQE,' details how city DOT can veto regional transportation plans and must approve state highway projects within city limits. Jon Orcutt, former city DOT official, urges Adams to push for a full corridor plan and not settle for piecemeal fixes. Assembly Member Emily Gallagher and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso are named as officials demanding state DOT return to the process. The BQE has long divided North Brooklyn, bringing pollution and danger to dense neighborhoods. Advocates want the city to use its power to protect residents and vulnerable road users from the harms of urban highways.

• OPINION: Mayor Adams Has Leverage to Force a Reluctant State DOT to Budge on the BQE, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-21

Feb 21 - The BQE slices through North Brooklyn, choking streets with noise and fumes. City leaders have tools to force state DOT to the table but hold back. Advocates demand Adams use his power. The highway’s shadow falls hardest on those walking and biking nearby.

This opinion piece, published February 21, 2023, calls on Mayor Adams to wield the city’s legal leverage over the state Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). The article, titled 'Mayor Adams Has Leverage to Force a Reluctant State DOT to Budge on the BQE,' details how city DOT can veto regional transportation plans and must approve state highway projects within city limits. Jon Orcutt, former city DOT official, urges Adams to push for a full corridor plan and not settle for piecemeal fixes. Assembly Member Emily Gallagher and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso are named as officials demanding state DOT return to the process. The BQE has long divided North Brooklyn, bringing pollution and danger to dense neighborhoods. Advocates want the city to use its power to protect residents and vulnerable road users from the harms of urban highways.

• OPINION: Mayor Adams Has Leverage to Force a Reluctant State DOT to Budge on the BQE, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-21

Feb 20 - Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso throws his weight behind Council Member Lincoln Restler’s bills to speed up street redesigns and punish drivers who block bike lanes. He calls for more protected bike lanes, a finished greenway, and streets built for people, not cars.

On February 20, 2023, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso voiced strong support for Council Member Lincoln Restler’s Intro 417 and Intro 501. Intro 417 aims to 'change the approval process of bike lanes and major transportation projects in the community boards,' cutting delays. Intro 501 would fine drivers who block bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants, with civilians able to report violations and receive a portion of the fine. Reynoso said, 'Those are two pieces I’d love to see pushed absolutely.' He also champions protected bike lanes, a comprehensive bike network, and the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway. Reynoso’s stance is clear: streets must be safer for people walking and biking. He wants action after recent traffic violence and supports more open streets. The plaza outside Borough Hall is now a park, closed to cars. Reynoso’s priorities put vulnerable road users first.

• A Presidents’ Day Interview with Brooklyn Borough Prez Antonio Reynoso, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-20

Feb 19 - An unlicensed 18-year-old e-scooter driver struck a parked sedan in Brooklyn. The rider suffered shoulder and upper arm injuries and was in shock. Police cited driver inattention as a contributing factor. No vehicle damage was reported.

According to the police report, an 18-year-old male e-scooter driver collided with a parked sedan on Broadway in Brooklyn. The rider was injured, sustaining upper arm and shoulder injuries, and was reported to be in shock. The e-scooter driver was unlicensed and traveling southeast when the crash occurred. The sedan was stationary at the time. The report lists driver inattention or distraction as the contributing factor. The e-scooter sustained no damage, and the rider was not ejected. No other contributing factors were noted. The injured rider complained of pain and nausea but was not wearing any safety equipment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607432 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 16 - A Chevy SUV crashed on Humboldt Street. The driver lost focus. The road was slick. Metal buckled. Three people inside were hurt. Blood pooled. The crash left wounds and silence behind.

A 1997 Chevy SUV crashed on Humboldt Street. Three occupants were injured. According to the police report, 'the driver was distracted. The road was slick.' The front passenger, a 50-year-old man, suffered severe head bleeding. The driver, age 48, had minor head bleeding. A 20-year-old rear passenger was bruised. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor, along with 'Pavement Slippery.' All injured occupants wore lap belts and harnesses. The SUV’s center front end was crushed. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash shows the danger when attention lapses and roads turn slick.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4606355 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 15 - A sedan turning left on McGuinness Boulevard was struck by an SUV going straight. The sedan driver suffered head injuries and shock. Police cited driver inattention and failure to yield. Both vehicles sustained right-side damage in the collision.

According to the police report, a 37-year-old female sedan driver was injured in a crash on McGuinness Boulevard in Brooklyn. The sedan was making a left turn when it was struck on the right front quarter panel by a southbound SUV traveling straight. The sedan driver suffered head injuries and was in shock. The report lists driver errors including "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as contributing factors. The sedan driver was wearing a lap belt and was not ejected. The SUV sustained front-end damage, while the sedan's right side doors were damaged. No other injuries or victims were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4606766 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 15 - A pick-up truck struck a parked SUV on Ingraham Street in Brooklyn. The SUV driver, a 31-year-old man, suffered whiplash and full-body injuries. The crash involved traffic control disregard. No one was ejected. The driver remained conscious and harnessed.

According to the police report, a pick-up truck traveling west collided with a parked 2015 SUV on Ingraham Street, Brooklyn. The impact occurred at the center back end of the parked SUV. The 31-year-old male driver occupant of the SUV was injured, suffering whiplash and injuries to his entire body. He was conscious and restrained by a harness at the time of the crash. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor, indicating driver error by the pick-up truck operator. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted. The crash caused damage to the left side doors of a third SUV traveling south, but no injuries were reported for that vehicle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605941 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 13 - A box truck swung wide on Meserole. Steel met steel. The parked sedan crumpled. The driver, trapped and conscious, suffered neck injuries. The truck rolled on. The street stayed silent. Flesh paid for a turn gone wrong.

A box truck making a right turn on Meserole Street in Brooklyn struck a parked sedan. According to the police report, the truck 'turned wrong.' The sedan's driver, a 42-year-old man, was conscious but suffered crush injuries to his neck. The crash left the sedan's front end mangled. The truck showed no damage and continued on. Police list 'Turning Improperly' as the contributing factor. No errors are attributed to the sedan driver. Other occupants in the vehicles were listed but did not report injuries. The crash highlights the danger when large vehicles turn without care.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605615 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 13 - A 28-year-old woman bicyclist was partially ejected and injured at Wythe Place in Brooklyn. The SUV struck her with its right front bumper. She suffered bruises and leg injuries. The driver was distracted. The bicyclist was confused at the scene.

According to the police report, a 28-year-old female bicyclist was injured after a collision with a 2020 Jeep SUV on Wythe Place in Brooklyn. The SUV, traveling east, struck the bicyclist, who was traveling north, with its right front bumper. The bicyclist was partially ejected and sustained contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors, along with pedestrian/bicyclist error or confusion. The bicyclist was not wearing any safety equipment. The SUV driver was licensed and going straight ahead before impact. The crash highlights the dangers of driver distraction and confusion among vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605629 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 13 - DMV told New Yorkers to report defaced plates through official channels, not to the commissioner. Law enforcement, not the DMV, should ticket offenders. Critics say sending new plates lets reckless drivers dodge accountability. The city’s most vulnerable remain at risk.

On February 13, 2023, after a Streetsblog investigation, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles clarified its process for reporting defaced license plates. DMV Deputy Commissioner Lisa Koumjian stated, "The DMV has an established process for replacing plates and that is the process individuals should follow if their plate is in poor condition." If someone reports a plate that does not belong to them, the DMV can pursue replacement with the registrant if enough information is provided. Koumjian added, "If the plate is covered or intentionally defaced, law enforcement should be notified of this criminal activity as they have the jurisdiction to cite the registrant." Assembly Member Emily Gallagher was involved after constituents raised concerns. Critics, including Marius Facktor, blasted the DMV’s approach: "Car drivers are scratching and covering up their plates to avoid accountability when they hit and kill pedestrians. That's why this is so urgent." The DMV’s response drew fire for failing to hold dangerous drivers accountable and leaving vulnerable road users exposed.

• ROWBACK: State DMV Clarifies How to Rat Out Help Out Your Plate-Defacing Neighbor, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-13

Feb 13 - Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Feb 13 - Assembly and Senate passed A 602. The bill sets state funding rules for federally assisted and municipal complete street projects. Lawmakers moved fast. Streets shaped by budgets, not safety.

Bill A 602, titled 'Relates to the percentage responsibility of the state for federally assisted projects,' passed committee votes in the Assembly on January 24, 2023, and in the Senate on February 13, 2023. Sponsored by Patricia Fahy, the bill addresses how much the state pays for federally assisted projects and for municipal projects with complete street designs. The measure saw broad support, with near-unanimous yes votes in both chambers. The bill's focus is on funding, not on direct safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, or other vulnerable road users. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File A 602, Open States, Published 2023-02-13

Feb 12 - A 28-year-old man was struck while crossing Bushwick Avenue with the signal. The driver, making a right turn, failed to pay attention. The pedestrian suffered a hip and upper leg injury and was left in shock. No visible complaint was reported.

According to the police report, a pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Bushwick Avenue and Seigel Street. The 28-year-old male pedestrian was crossing with the signal when the driver, making a right turn, struck him with the center front end of the vehicle. The report lists driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors. The pedestrian sustained injuries to his hip and upper leg and was in shock. The vehicle showed no damage. No other contributing factors were noted. The pedestrian was not at fault and was following traffic signals at the time of the collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605628 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 12 - Two sedans traveling north on Bushwick Avenue crashed. One driver suffered head injuries and whiplash. The impact struck the center back end of one vehicle and the center front end of the other. Driver distraction caused the collision.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on Bushwick Avenue. Both vehicles were traveling straight ahead northbound when the crash occurred. The female driver of the Volvo sedan sustained head injuries and whiplash but was conscious and not ejected. The report lists driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors. The point of impact was the center back end of the Volvo and the center front end of the Infiniti. Both drivers were licensed and operating their vehicles properly before the crash. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605166 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 12 - A box truck struck the rear of a stopped SUV on Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn. Both SUV occupants suffered neck and head injuries. The truck showed no damage. Defective brakes on the SUV contributed to the collision. Both victims were conscious and injured.

According to the police report, a box truck traveling south on Marcy Avenue collided with the left rear bumper of a stopped SUV. The SUV had two occupants: a 22-year-old male driver and a 55-year-old female front passenger. Both sustained injuries described as whiplash affecting the neck and head. The report lists "Brakes Defective" as a contributing factor to the crash. The truck driver was licensed and the vehicle showed no damage, while the SUV sustained damage to the center back end. No ejections occurred. The report does not indicate any fault or error by the victims. The collision resulted from mechanical failure rather than driver error.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605171 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 12 - Two sedans crashed on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. One driver suffered a head injury and shock. Unsafe speed caused the collision. The impact overturned a car. Pain and nausea followed. The road stayed dangerous.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. Both vehicles were changing lanes when the crash happened. A 30-year-old woman driving one sedan suffered a head injury and was in shock, complaining of pain and nausea. The report lists unsafe speed as a contributing factor. The impact struck the right side doors of one sedan and overturned the other. No other contributing factors were noted. The injured driver was not ejected. Her safety equipment status is unknown.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4608434 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 12 - A sedan driver hit parked cars on Marcy Avenue. The crash tore into right side doors. The driver, 35, suffered whiplash and full-body injuries. Police cite alcohol involvement. Parked sedans took heavy damage.

According to the police report, a 35-year-old man driving south on Marcy Avenue crashed his sedan into several parked cars. The impact struck the right side doors of his vehicle. The driver was injured with whiplash and harm to his entire body but remained conscious and was not ejected. The report lists alcohol involvement as the contributing factor. The driver wore a lap belt. Multiple parked sedans sustained damage to their bumpers and back ends. No other injuries were reported. The crash underscores the risk posed by impaired drivers to everyone on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4606055 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19