Queens Streets Bleed—Policy Is the Weapon

• Man struck and killed by two vehicles while trying to cross Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park: NYPD, amny, Published 2025-09-16

• Maniac NYC driver who mowed down teen girl after she rejected lewd advances had suspended license: docs, New York Post, Published 2025-09-14

• 16-year-old girl dies after being hit by SUV in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Sep 12 - A driver in an SUV and a woman on a moped collided on Jamaica Ave at 96 St. She suffered a shoulder injury. Police recorded Unsafe Lane Changing.

On September 12, 2025, around 8:20 p.m., a woman riding a 2024 moped and a driver in a 2015 Mazda SUV were traveling east on Jamaica Ave near 96 St in NYC when they collided. The 29-year-old moped rider suffered a shoulder injury and was conscious at the scene. According to the police report, police recorded Unsafe Lane Changing by the SUV driver. Records list right-front damage to the SUV and front-end damage to the moped. Both drivers were reported as going straight before the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841700 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 12 - At Atlantic Ave and 133 St, a sedan driver turned left across a motorcyclist going straight. The rider, 43, was hurt and partially ejected. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction.

The crash happened at Atlantic Ave and 133 St in Queens at 4:42 p.m. A sedan driver turned left. The motorcyclist rode straight. The two collided. The rider, 43, was injured and partially ejected, with a back contusion noted. Other occupants were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the sedan driver was making a left turn and the motorcyclist was going straight. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction in the crash. Both vehicles showed front-end damage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4842437 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 11 - A southbound cyclist crashed at Lefferts Boulevard and Beverly Road. A parked Ford sedan was involved. The rider, 24, was injured with arm and hand abrasions. The car’s left doors were damaged. Night crash in Queens.

A crash on Lefferts Boulevard at Beverly Road in Queens involved a parked Ford sedan and a southbound bicyclist. The bicyclist, a 24-year-old man, was injured, with abrasions to his arm and hand. Three occupants were listed in the sedan; injuries for them were marked “Unspecified.” According to the police report, the sedan was parked. The bicycle was traveling straight south. The bike’s point of impact was the center front. The sedan’s left-side doors were damaged. According to the police report, contributing factors were listed as “Unspecified” for all involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841522 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 6 - A southbound driver turned left at 88 St on Jamaica Ave and hit a westbound sedan. A 13-year-old passenger was hurt. A 51-year-old driver had a head bruise. Police recorded "Other Vehicular" for both drivers.

Two sedans collided at Jamaica Ave and 88 St at 8:55 p.m. A driver traveled west on Jamaica Ave, going straight. Another driver traveled south and made a left turn. The southbound driver hit the left side doors of the westbound sedan. A 13-year-old front-seat passenger was injured. A 51-year-old driver suffered a head contusion. Others were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, officers listed "Other Vehicular" as the contributing factor for the drivers. Police recorded actions as Going Straight Ahead for the westbound driver and Making Left Turn for the southbound driver. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4840319 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 5 - A northbound sedan driver turned right at Woodhaven and 101 Ave and hit a westbound moped. An 18-year-old woman riding on the moped was hurt. Police recorded failure to yield and improper lane use by the driver.

A crash at 10:05 p.m. in Queens left a moped passenger hurt. A northbound sedan driver made a right turn at 101 Ave and Woodhaven Blvd and hit a westbound moped going straight. Impact marked the sedan’s right rear quarter panel and the moped’s front. An 18-year-old woman riding on the moped suffered a bruised hip and upper leg. Two 19-year-old men, the driver and a registrant, were listed with unspecified injury status. According to the police report, “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way” and “Passing or Lane Usage Improper” were recorded by the driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841694 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 4 - At Atlantic Ave and Woodhaven Blvd, a southbound driver turned left and collided with an eastbound driver. Both men were injured. Police recorded Turning Improperly.

Two drivers crashed at Atlantic Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens at 3:53 p.m. The BMW driver was heading east, going straight. The Mitsubishi driver was traveling south and making a left turn. The BMW driver hit the Mitsubishi’s right front quarter panel with a center-front impact. Both drivers were injured: a 39-year-old man reported back pain, and a 57-year-old man reported whiplash and a neck injury. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Turning Improperly." Police recorded improper turning by a driver. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed in the crash data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839704 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 1 - A driver in a Jeep SUV hit the back of a 67-year-old e-bike rider at 120 St and 95 Ave in Queens at 9:20 p.m. The rider went down, stayed conscious, and hurt his arm. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver.

On September 1, 2025, at about 9:20 p.m., a driver in a 2023 Jeep SUV, traveling north on 120 St, went straight and hit the back of a westbound e-bike at 95 Ave in Queens. The crash injured a 67-year-old bicyclist, who was conscious with an arm contusion and was partially ejected. According to the police report, police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. The e-bike had center back-end damage; the SUV had center front-end damage. Both were reported as going straight ahead. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839915 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 25 - Southbound SUV hit a southbound cyclist on Lefferts Boulevard. The rider went down, head injured, unconscious. Police cite improper passing or lane use. The road did what it always does. The body paid.

A southbound SUV and a southbound bike collided near 87-84 Lefferts Boulevard in Queens. The bicyclist, a 32-year-old man, was injured in the head and listed as unconscious. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Passing or Lane Usage Improper.” The SUV’s left front quarter panel was the impact point; the bike’s damage was at the center front. These details point to driver lane misuse and improper passing as the critical errors. The report lists the cyclist’s safety equipment as “None,” but only after the driver’s improper passing noted by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4837510 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 14 - The driver of a taxi hit a northbound cyclist on Woodhaven Boulevard at 91 Ave. The 36-year-old rider suffered knee and lower-leg injuries and an abrasion. Police listed contributing factors as unspecified.

"According to the police report, the driver of a taxi struck a northbound bicyclist on Woodhaven Boulevard at 91 Avenue." The 36-year-old male cyclist suffered knee, lower-leg and foot injuries and complained of an abrasion. Police recorded damage to the taxi’s right-front bumper. The report lists contributing factors as Unspecified and does not cite driver errors. Safety equipment for the cyclist was recorded as None, noted after impact and vehicle findings. The crash occurred in Queens, precinct 102, at 22:02; vehicle types involved were Taxi and Bike and the bicyclist was listed as Injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835248 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 14 - An SUV and a sedan met hard at 84th and Rockaway. Speed ruled the crash. A toddler hurt. A child cut deep. Drivers banged up. Signals ignored. Steel buckled. Night streets took the blow.

Two cars collided at 84 St and Rockaway Blvd in Queens. An SUV and a sedan struck head‑on at the front ends. A 2‑year‑old passenger was injured. A 3‑year‑old boy suffered severe head lacerations. Multiple adults, including both drivers, reported pain. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Unsafe Speed” and “Traffic Control Disregarded.” Those driver errors led the list for every involved person. The crash involved a Honda sedan traveling southeast and a Mazda SUV traveling north, both going straight. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed among the injured. The report notes some occupants lacked safety equipment, but only after the primary driver failures.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835025 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 13 - Two SUVs collided at 101 Ave and 75 St. A left turn cut across. Metal hit metal. Three occupants hurt. A parked Tesla took a scrape. Failure to yield set it off.

Two Hyundai SUVs collided at 101 Avenue and 75 Street in Queens. One was going west. The other was turning left southbound. A parked Tesla was struck on its left side. Three people were reported injured: a 49-year-old male driver with chest pain, a 21-year-old rear passenger with leg injury, and a 21-year-old front passenger with abdominal pain. According to the police report, the listed factor was “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.” The southbound SUV was “Making Left Turn,” and the westbound SUV was “Going Straight Ahead,” indicating a turn across oncoming traffic. Driver errors included Failure to Yield. The parked vehicle had no occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834657 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 13 - A driver struck a man crossing 155th Street near JFK. The car sped off. Medics rushed the victim to the hospital. He died. Police searched for footage. No arrests. The street stayed silent.

NY Daily News (2025-08-13) reports a 52-year-old man was killed crossing 155th St. at South Conduit Ave. near JFK Airport around 2:30 a.m. The driver hit the man and fled. Police said, "The driver sped off without stopping. No arrests have been made." Officers searched for surveillance footage to identify the vehicle. The article notes 68 pedestrians have died in city crashes this year. The hit-and-run highlights ongoing dangers for those on foot and the challenge of holding drivers accountable.

• Queens Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian Near JFK, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-13

Aug 12 - A car tore through an Astoria intersection. It struck a food truck. Two men died on the sidewalk. The driver died too. Metal, flesh, coffee, blood. The street swallowed them. It happened fast. No one stood a chance.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-12), an 84-year-old driver sped through 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, crashing into a food truck and killing two customers and himself. Surveillance showed the car "going about 60 miles an hour" before impact. The article quotes a witness: "Someone screamed really loudly, and I just had stepped back, like right up to the sidewalk." The force severed a victim's foot. The crash highlights the lethal risk when drivers lose control at high speed in pedestrian zones. No charges were filed; the driver died at the scene.

• Speeding Car Slams Food Truck, Kills Two, New York Post, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 11 - A car thief fled cops, leaping into the Atlantic. Officers dove in, fought him in the water, and dragged him to shore. The chase began with a stolen sedan, ended in cold surf, cuffs snapping shut.

NY Daily News (2025-08-11) reports a car thief jumped into the Atlantic off Far Rockaway after police caught him with a stolen Honda. The suspect, Matthew Swafford, used a stolen North Carolina plate. Officers pursued him into the water, as shown in NYPD video. Detective Demerest called, 'Take my belt!' before diving in. Swafford was charged with possession of stolen property and other offenses. The incident highlights risks when suspects flee in stolen vehicles, raising questions about pursuit protocols and the dangers posed by car theft in dense urban areas.

• Car Thief Jumps Far Rockaway Dock, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 10 - A driver making a left turn hit a driver going straight at 101st Street and 86th Avenue in Queens. A 62‑year‑old driver suffered back and internal injuries and was conscious at the scene. Police recorded failure to yield.

Two drivers in sedans collided at 101st Street and 86th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the driver of a Ford making a left turn hit the driver of a Jeep that was going straight. A 62‑year‑old driver was injured with back and internal trauma and remained conscious; he was not ejected. Police recorded "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" and list "Driver Inattention/Distraction" among contributing factors. The Ford's point of impact was its right front bumper; the Jeep's left front bumper showed damage. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved, per the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834292 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 8 - A driver in an SUV and a motorcyclist collided at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. The motorcycle driver, 35, was injured — knee, lower leg and foot contusion. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction and Traffic Control Disregarded.

A driver in an SUV collided with a motorcycle at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. One motorcyclist was hurt. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' are listed as contributing factors. The injured person is a 35-year-old male motorcycle driver, conscious and not ejected, with injury to the knee, lower leg and foot and a contusion. Vehicle records show center front end damage to the motorcycle and left rear quarter panel damage to the SUV. The report logs the crash at 17:00 and lists the involved vehicle types as SUV and motorcycle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834053 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 7 - Queens leaders kill Creedmoor’s car-free dream. The city bows to drivers. Walkers and cyclists lose. Streets stay hostile. Safety gains vanish. The promise of a people-first neighborhood dies.

On August 7, 2025, Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the city’s decision to scale back the Creedmoor redevelopment. The plan, once a bold vision for a car-free, walkable neighborhood, was gutted after pressure from local politicians like Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola. The original proposal called for 2,775 homes and limited parking. Now, density drops by 27 percent. Empire State Development claims compromise, but the statement is aspirational and lacks concrete safety measures for pedestrians or cyclists. Vulnerable road users remain exposed. The city missed its chance.

• NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-07