Queens Bleeds While Leaders Stall—How Many More Must Die?

• Nude Queens man indicted for kicking bike riders, attacking 3 NYPD officers, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-18

• Man accused of intentionally killing Queens teen with his car, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-16

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

Sep 4 - A westbound driver hit a stopped sedan on Rockaway Beach Blvd near Beach 149 St. The woman in the stopped car was injured. Back pain. Whiplash. Shock.

Two sedans were westbound on Rockaway Beach Blvd near Beach 149 St. The driver of a 2018 Jeep went straight ahead and hit the back of a stopped 2025 Chevy sedan. The crash injured the stopped driver, a 28-year-old woman. She reported back pain and whiplash and was in shock. According to the police report, the rear vehicle had center front-end damage and the stopped car had center back-end damage. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction and Unsafe Speed. The rear driver, a 19-year-old man, had no injuries listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4840953 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

• Queens bus network redesign draws mixed reviews from riders, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-02

Aug 29 - A southbound sedan hit a 6‑year‑old on Beach 108th. He suffered a head injury and stayed conscious. The car showed no damage. The driver was licensed. The street failed the child, not the child.

A southbound Honda sedan traveling straight struck a 6-year-old boy outside an intersection near Beach 108th Street in Queens. He sustained a head injury and was reported conscious. According to the police report, the pedestrian was “Crossing, No Signal, or Crosswalk” and the location was “Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Not at Intersection.” The report lists driver contributing factors as “Unspecified,” and the vehicle showed “No Damage.” No specific driver errors were recorded, underscoring a system where a child on foot meets a moving car and loses.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838593 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 28 - Taxi and sedan drivers collided at Beach 75 St and Beach Channel Dr. The crash also hit a parked pickup. A front-seat passenger suffered a head contusion. Police recorded driver inattention and passenger distraction.

A taxi driver heading east on Beach Channel Dr and a westbound sedan driver crashed front to front at Beach 75 St in Arverne. The collision also damaged a parked pickup. A front passenger, 45, suffered a head contusion. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight and both points of impact were at the center front. Police recorded driver inattention/distraction by the drivers. They also recorded passenger distraction.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841117 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 22 - Northbound on Beach Channel Drive at Hassock Street, a motorcyclist tried a U-turn as a sedan driver went straight. The drivers collided. The rider suffered leg pain and shock. It was 8:55 p.m. Police listed driver errors.

Two northbound drivers collided on Beach Channel Drive at Hassock Street in Queens. According to the police report, the motorcyclist attempted a U-turn while a sedan driver continued straight, and the two collided. The 40-year-old male motorcyclist reported knee and lower-leg pain and was listed as injured; other injuries were not specified. Police recorded driver errors: Turning Improperly and Driver Inattention/Distraction. Police also noted left-front damage on the motorcycle and center-front damage on the sedan. Both vehicles were recorded as traveling northbound at the time of impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839816 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 15 - A northbound sedan turned right and hit a westbound teen on a bike in Queens. The boy went down. His leg was hurt. Police cite driver distraction. Metal wins. Flesh pays.

A sedan turning right collided with a westbound bicyclist at 33 Market St in Queens. The 15-year-old cyclist was injured in the leg. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Driver Inattention/Distraction.” The driver’s listed pre-crash action was Making Right Turn, while the cyclist was Going Straight Ahead. These records point to driver error: inattention during a turning movement. Only after that does the data note the bicyclist’s equipment as None; the report does not tie that to causation. No other causes are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835740 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 14 - Council moves to hit rogue vans hard. A checklist. Max fines for each breach. TLC, NYPD, DOT must act together. Crack down on illegal operators who imperil riders and people on the street. The bill sits in committee.

Int 1347-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced and referred on August 14, 2025. The bill’s title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans.” It orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to keep a compliance checklist. When officers stop an unlicensed van, they must check every rule and issue the maximum fine for each breach. Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams. Co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, and Chris Banks. Status: Committee. If enacted, it takes effect 120 days later. It targets illegal operators who put riders and bystanders at risk.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Council introduces Int 1347-2025 to curb rogue commuter vans. TLC, NYPD, and DOT must keep a safety checklist. Officers who spot an unlicensed van stack every charge and levy max fines. A push to shield riders and people on the street.

Int 1347-2025 is in Committee. It sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction and referral on August 14, 2025. The bill’s title reads, “A Local Law … in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans.” It orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a checklist of laws on vehicle and driver licensure, service authorization, insurance, and inspections. When an officer stops an unlicensed van, they must review the list and issue the maximum penalty for each violation. Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams is joined by Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, Chris Banks, and Farah N. Louis. The aim is to protect riders and bystanders from unlicensed operators who skip the rules.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 12 - A Lexus sedan turned left on Mott and hit a woman in the crosswalk at Beach 20th. She stayed conscious, clutching her bruised arm. The car showed no damage. The street showed the truth: a person hurt at an intersection.

A 2021 Lexus sedan, driven by a licensed woman, was making a left turn from Mott Ave at Beach 20 St in Queens when it struck a 38-year-old woman in the intersection. The pedestrian suffered a bruised arm and remained conscious. According to the police report, contributing factors were listed as “Unspecified” for all parties. The vehicle’s point of impact was the center front end, and the car showed no damage. The driver was turning left, a high-risk maneuver for people on foot at intersections. No driver errors were recorded beyond the unspecified factors in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834521 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 12 - A car slammed into a food truck in Astoria. Three people died. Metal twisted. Lives ended. The street became a scene of sudden loss.

CBS New York reported on August 12, 2025, that a car crashed into a food truck at 19th Avenue and 42nd Street in Astoria, Queens, killing three people. The article quotes witnesses, including a man who 'narrowly escaped tragedy.' Details on the driver's actions remain scarce, but the crash highlights the lethal risk vehicles pose to people on city streets. The incident raises questions about street design and the exposure of workers and customers at curbside businesses.

• Car Plows Into Queens Food Truck, CBS New York, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 8 - A driver in an SUV and a motorcyclist collided on Beach 67 at Rockaway Beach Blvd after each turned improperly. The 42-year-old rider suffered an arm abrasion and was conscious. Police recorded turning improperly by both drivers.

A collision on Beach 67 Street at Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens injured the lone motorcyclist. The driver of the motorcycle, a 42-year-old man, suffered an abrasion to his elbow/arm and remained conscious. The driver of the motorcycle had been making a left turn. The driver of the SUV had been making a right turn. According to the police report, both vehicles were "Turning Improperly" before the collision. Police recorded turning improperly by the drivers as contributing factors. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. No other injuries or contributing factors were specified.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833828 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 8 - Driver turned right and hit a man in the intersection at Beach 116 and Beach Channel. Police cited distraction. The 47-year-old suffered a back injury and a bruise.

A driver in a 2017 Jeep SUV made a right turn at Beach 116 Street and Beach Channel Drive in Queens and hit a 47-year-old man crossing in the intersection. The driver hit him with the SUV’s center front end. The pedestrian was conscious and suffered a back injury and a contusion. According to the police report, police recorded driver inattention and distraction by the driver as contributing factors. No other contributing factors were listed. The driver was licensed. The report lists damage at the center front end.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833827 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 8 - Floods drowned Bay Terrace. Streets vanished. Leaders demand signs and real fixes. Pedestrians and cyclists still face danger. Signs warn, but water keeps coming.

"The signs that we’re asking for would warn drivers about flood-prone roads and encourage people not to park or drive in the event of heavy rain at this intersection and on the highway." -- Donovan J. Richards

On August 8, 2025, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Council Member Vickie Paladino, joined by State Sen. John Liu and others, called for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation in Bay Terrace. They urged the Department of Transportation to act after flash floods submerged the Cross Island Parkway. The matter, described as a 'call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts,' saw Richards call signage a 'small step' and Paladino stress the need for warnings. The safety analyst notes these efforts may help general conditions but do not address the core safety needs of pedestrians and cyclists or shift burdens away from vulnerable users.

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 7 - A driver in an ambulance hit a nine-year-old on Beach 115th Street in Queens. The boy suffered shoulder injuries and shock. Police cited pedestrian confusion. No driver error recorded.

A driver in a 2021 ambulance, heading south and going straight, hit a nine-year-old boy near Beach 115th Street in Queens. The impact was to the center front of the ambulance. The child was not at an intersection and was listed as playing in the roadway. He sustained an abrasion and an injury to his upper arm and shoulder and went into shock. According to the police report, the only contributing factor recorded was 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion.' No driver errors were recorded. The ambulance showed no damage. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834361 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

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

Aug 4 - A left-turning SUV hit the right side of a southbound SUV on Rockaway Freeway. Four people were injured. Drivers and front passengers suffered head trauma, a fractured arm, concussions, and bleeding amid night sirens.

According to the police report ... two Ford SUVs collided on Rockaway Freeway at Seagirt Boulevard. One vehicle was making a left turn northbound; the other was going straight southbound. Four occupants were injured: both drivers and both front passengers. Reported injuries included head trauma, a concussion, a fractured arm, and bleeding. The southbound SUV shows left-front bumper damage; the left-turning SUV shows right-side door damage. The police report lists all contributing factors as "Unspecified." No driver errors were recorded in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832910 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man in Ozone Park. The driver fled, then turned himself in. Police say the crash followed a heated confrontation. The victim died at Jamaica Hospital.

ABC7 reported on August 1, 2025, that a 23-year-old man died after being hit by a car at 101st Avenue and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. Police said the incident followed a domestic dispute. The driver, who was the woman's current boyfriend, told police the victim approached his car "while flashing what appeared to be a gun" and was struck as the driver tried to leave. The driver later went to the police. No charges had been filed as of publication, with the district attorney still reviewing the case. The crash highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used during conflicts.

• Man Killed By Car In Queens Dispute, ABC7, Published 2025-08-01