No More Bodies in the Road: Demand Safety, Not Excuses

A sedan pulled from the curb. A 62-year-old man crossed West 178th. Metal hit skull. Blood pooled on the street. The man stayed awake. The car’s right front bore the wound. Failure to yield marked the moment.

A 62-year-old man was struck by a sedan at the corner of West 178th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. According to the police report, the pedestrian was crossing against the signal when a Toyota sedan pulled from the curb and hit him. The man suffered a head injury with severe bleeding but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The impact damaged the car’s right front quarter panel. The data does not mention any other contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4678761, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 15-year-old on a moped struck an SUV on Saint Nicholas Avenue. He flew from the seat. His head hit hard. He died on the street. Speed played a role. The crash left a mark on Manhattan’s roads.

A 15-year-old boy riding a Zhilong moped died after colliding with a GMC SUV near Saint Nicholas Avenue and West 185th Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, the moped rider was traveling at unsafe speed and was ejected from his seat, suffering fatal head injuries. The crash occurred as both vehicles went straight ahead. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The boy was not wearing any safety equipment, which is noted after the driver error. No injuries were reported for the SUV driver. The impact crushed the moped’s front and the SUV’s left front quarter panel. The street bears the cost of speed and force.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4678005, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 46-year-old man rode south on Henry Hudson Parkway. He was unlicensed. No helmet. He struck the right front of his Vespa. Thrown from the moped, his skull hit hard. He died alone in the dark. No other vehicles involved.

A 46-year-old man was killed while riding a Vespa southbound on Henry Hudson Parkway. According to the police report, 'A 46-year-old man, unlicensed and bareheaded, was thrown from his southbound Vespa. The right front struck. His skull bore the blow. He died alone in the dark. Crush injuries. No one else involved.' The report lists the driver as unlicensed and not wearing any safety equipment. The only contributing factors noted are 'Unspecified.' No other vehicles or people were involved in the crash. The man was ejected from the moped and suffered fatal head injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4668759, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped hit an SUV’s side at West 160th and Saint Nicholas. The rider, 25, was ejected. His head split open. Blood pooled on the street. He lay incoherent, pain thick in his voice. The moped was crushed. Sirens cut the morning.

A violent crash unfolded at the corner of West 160th Street and Saint Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. A moped slammed into the side of an SUV. According to the police report, the moped rider, age 25, was ejected and suffered a severe head injury with heavy bleeding. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. The moped was demolished. The SUV’s right side doors were damaged. The rider was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the primary causes cited are driver errors. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4670151, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Jeep cut across Sherman Avenue. A Suzuki motorcycle kept straight. Metal slammed metal. The rider, forty-five, crashed. His head split open. Blood spread on the street. He lay trapped, conscious, waiting for help.

A crash unfolded on Sherman Avenue near Arden Street in Manhattan. A Jeep SUV swerved while changing lanes. A Suzuki motorcycle continued straight. The vehicles collided. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper.' The motorcycle rider, a 45-year-old man, suffered severe head injuries and was trapped but conscious at the scene. He wore no helmet. The report states: 'A Jeep swerved. A Suzuki held course. Steel kissed steel. The rider, 45, hit the ground hard. No helmet. Head split. Blood pooled on blacktop. Sirens rose. He lay trapped, conscious, waiting.' The listed driver error was improper lane usage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4657457, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council pushed for 500 solar-lit crosswalks. The bill demanded action—100 new devices each year. It called for a hard look at results. But the session ended. The bill died. Streets wait. Pedestrians keep crossing in the dark.

Int 1151-2023, introduced August 3, 2023, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, aimed to require the Department of Transportation to install at least 100 illuminated, solar-powered traffic control devices at crosswalks each year for five years—a total of 500. The bill also ordered a study comparing these devices to unlit signs, probing their power to deter traffic violations and mapping out logistical hurdles. The matter summary reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the installation of solar-powered crosswalks.' Council Member Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Menin, Brooks-Powers, Rivera, and over thirty others. The bill was filed at session’s end on December 31, 2023. No safety analyst note was provided. The city’s crosswalks remain unchanged. Vulnerable road users remain exposed.

• File Int 1151-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-08-03

An SUV turned left on Amsterdam. An e-bike kept straight. They collided head-on. The e-bike rider, a 44-year-old man, hit the pavement. Blood ran from his leg. The light was not obeyed. No helmet. Night air thick with sirens.

A crash took place at Amsterdam Avenue and West 162nd Street in Manhattan. An SUV made a left turn. An e-bike rider, a 44-year-old man, went straight. They collided head-on. The man suffered severe lacerations to his leg. According to the police report, 'The light was not obeyed.' The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the primary cause was the failure to obey traffic signals. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4643244, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Twenty-nine council members push City Hall to double Fair Fares funding. They want eligibility raised to cover families earning up to $60,000. The mayor’s budget keeps funding flat. Riders face higher fares and shrinking options. The fight is urgent.

On June 27, 2023, 29 New York City Council members, led by Carmen De La Rosa, sent a letter to City Hall demanding expanded funding for the Fair Fares program. The letter urges the Adams administration to raise eligibility to 200 percent of the federal poverty line, stating, "We have a moral responsibility to make this essential program available to hundreds of thousands of low-income working families who badly need the savings." The council’s demand comes as the mayor’s preliminary budget keeps Fair Fares funding at $75 million, well below pre-pandemic levels. The council estimates a $61.5 million increase would allow the program to reach far more than the current 280,000 people. De La Rosa and her co-signers argue the current threshold is too low, excluding many struggling families. The push for expansion lands as fare hikes loom and inflation squeezes the city’s poorest riders. The matter is now central to ongoing budget negotiations.

• Un-Fare: Council Members Demand More Funding for Fair Fares, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-27

A Honda SUV turned left on Broadway. It struck a 72-year-old woman crossing the street. She lay semiconscious, head bleeding, on the asphalt. The SUV stood idle under the streetlamps. The city kept moving.

A 72-year-old woman was struck by a Honda SUV while crossing Broadway near 4259. According to the police report, the woman was crossing against the signal when the SUV, making a left turn, hit her. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, and was found semiconscious at the scene. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The SUV sustained no damage. No driver errors were documented in the report. The impact left the pedestrian injured and vulnerable in the intersection, while the vehicle remained untouched.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648346, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan cut left on West 185th. Its front quarter struck a moped. The rider, thirty-six, flew off. Blood pooled by his torn leg. He lay still, in shock. The street went quiet. Danger lingered in the dark.

A sedan making a left turn on West 185th Street struck a moped rider traveling straight. The moped rider, age 36, was thrown from his vehicle and suffered severe lacerations to his leg. According to the police report, 'A moped rider, 36, struck mid-turn by a sedan’s front quarter. No helmet. Thrown halfway off. Blood pooled near his torn leg. He lay still, in shock, as the night closed in.' The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors for the moped rider. The sedan driver’s actions are also marked by 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion.' The moped rider wore no helmet, as noted in the data. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4638032, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

The Council called for Albany to pass Sammy’s Law, letting New York City set lower speed limits. The resolution also urged a crash victims bill of rights and stronger street safety laws. Lawmakers want fewer deaths. The bill stalled. Danger remains.

Resolution 0549-2023, filed at session’s end, came from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2023, and pushed by Council Member Shahana K. Hanif as primary sponsor, with Jennifer Gutiérrez and over twenty others co-sponsoring. The resolution urged the State Legislature and Governor to pass S.2422 ('Sammy’s Law'), which would let New York City set lower speed limits, and A.1901, a crash victims bill of rights. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.2422, also known as ‘Sammy’s Law,’ ... and A.1901, enacting a crash victims bill of rights, as well as the other bills of the package known as the SAFE Streets Act.' The SAFE Streets Act package also includes safe passing for cyclists and complete street design mandates. The Council’s action highlights the city’s ongoing fight against reckless driving and the urgent need for stronger protections for people on foot, on bikes, and in cars.

• File Res 0549-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-04-11

Three cars. One unlicensed driver. Speed too high. Metal tore metal. In the back seat, a woman’s skull broke. She stayed awake. The pain stayed too. Unsafe speed and reckless lane change left her crushed, conscious, and trapped in the wreck.

On the Cross Bronx Expressway at 2:39 a.m., three vehicles collided. According to the police report, one SUV was driven by an unlicensed man who changed lanes at unsafe speed. The crash involved two SUVs and a sedan. A 33-year-old woman, belted in the left rear seat, suffered a crushed skull but remained conscious. The report states: “Three cars, one unlicensed driver, speed too high. Metal split metal. In the back seat, a woman’s head took the force. Belted in, awake, her skull crushed.” The listed contributing factors are 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper.' An unlicensed driver was involved. No other contributing factors are named.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4620271, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A pick-up turned left. A motorcycle sped straight. Metal slammed metal. The rider flew, helmetless. His head struck pavement. Blood pooled. He lay conscious, bleeding, alone. The street bore the violence. He was 37.

A pick-up truck turned left on Audubon Avenue. A motorcycle came straight at unsafe speed. The two vehicles collided. According to the police report, 'A pick-up turned left. A motorcycle came fast, straight. They met hard. The rider flew, no helmet. Head split on pavement. Blood pooled. He was 37. He lay conscious, bleeding, alone on the street.' Unsafe speed was listed as a contributing factor. The 37-year-old motorcyclist was ejected and suffered a severe head injury, bleeding on the street. No helmet was worn, as noted in the report. No injuries were reported for the pick-up driver. The crash left the rider broken and bleeding on the asphalt.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4618187, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 73-year-old man rode his e-bike north on West 165th. He lost consciousness. He fell. His head struck the pavement. He died alone. No other vehicles. No impact. The street stayed quiet. The man did not get up.

A 73-year-old man riding an e-bike on West 165th Street at Saint Nicholas Avenue lost consciousness and fell, striking his head. According to the police report, 'A 73-year-old man riding an e-bike lost consciousness mid-ride. No crash. No impact. He fell, struck his head, and died alone on the pavement in the afternoon light.' No other vehicles were involved. The only listed contributing factor is 'Lost Consciousness.' No driver errors or external hazards are cited. The report notes the rider was not using any safety equipment, but this is mentioned only after the primary cause. The man died where he fell. The street remained unchanged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4614269, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council filed a bill to force a city study on truck and delivery traffic from last mile warehouses. The bill targets congestion, collisions, and harm to neighborhoods. It demands hard numbers on vehicle flow, street damage, and danger to people outside cars.

Int 0923-2023 was introduced on February 16, 2023, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Council Member Alexa Avilés, with over thirty co-sponsors, sought a city study on the impact of truck and delivery traffic from last mile facilities. The official summary reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to conducting a study of the impact that truck and delivery traffic generated by last mile facilities have on local communities and infrastructure.' The bill required the Department of Transportation to report on delivery vehicle volumes, parking, congestion, collisions, and pedestrian injuries near these hubs. It called for identifying the most affected streets and estimating the costs and possible fixes. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, without passage.

• File Int 0923-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-02-16

A Toyota crashed into three parked cars on Adrian Avenue. The driver, seventy-five, bled from the head. He sat alone, conscious, surrounded by shattered glass and twisted metal. The street fell silent except for the echo of impact.

A 2002 Toyota sedan struck three parked vehicles on Adrian Avenue near West 225th Street in the Bronx. The seventy-five-year-old male driver suffered severe head lacerations and was found conscious and alone. According to the police report, 'A 2002 Toyota plowed into three parked cars. The driver, 75, sat bleeding from the head. Conscious. Alone. The front of his car crushed, the silence broken only by the sound of shattered glass.' No pedestrians or passengers were reported injured. The police report lists the contributing factor as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as speeding, distraction, or failure to yield are detailed in the data. No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4595363, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A southbound bus veered into a parked sedan. Steel tore. The car’s left side crumpled. A 37-year-old man bled from the arm but stayed alert. The bus did not stop. Driver inattention marked the crash. The street held the wreckage.

A bus traveling south on Wadsworth Avenue near West 180th Street struck a parked Nissan sedan. According to the police report, 'A southbound bus veered into a parked Nissan. Steel screamed. The sedan’s left side folded. A 37-year-old man bled from the arm. He stayed awake. The bus did not stop.' The sedan’s driver, a 37-year-old man, suffered severe bleeding to his arm but remained conscious. Three other occupants in the sedan were not reported injured. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The bus driver left the scene. No other contributing factors were cited in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4602227, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

The Council passed Int 0291-2022, forcing city agencies to map, plan, and report on greenways. The law demands annual updates and public engagement. It aims to carve out safe, car-free corridors for walkers and cyclists. The mayor returned it unsigned.

Int 0291-2022, now Local Law 115 of 2022, was enacted by the City Council on November 27, 2022. The bill came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, first introduced April 28, 2022. The law's title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a citywide greenway plan.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers sponsored the bill, joined by dozens of co-sponsors including Rivera, Hudson, and others. The Council voted overwhelmingly in favor on October 27, 2022. The law orders the Department of Transportation and Parks to identify, map, and report on greenways, and to consult with community boards. Proposals for new greenway segments or repairs must be presented to affected communities within 60 days. The mayor returned the bill unsigned, but it became law. The measure compels the city to plan and maintain safe routes for non-drivers, with regular public reporting and accountability.

• File Int 0291-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-10-27

An e-bike slammed into a parked sedan on Nagle Avenue. Metal bent. The rider flew off, landing hard. He died at the scene. Distraction and speed fueled the crash. The car’s side caved in. Another life lost to inattention.

A deadly crash unfolded on Nagle Avenue near Hillside in Manhattan. An e-bike rider, age 46, struck a parked sedan. According to the police report, 'Distraction and speed marked the end.' The e-bike’s front end crumpled. The rider was partially ejected and found dead. The sedan’s left side was dented. Police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. No helmet use or signals are mentioned as factors. The crash left one man dead and another with pain in his leg. The parked car was empty. The toll is clear: distraction and speed proved fatal.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4574165, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A man on an e-scooter turned left. A car hit him head-on. He flew. His head split open. Blood pooled on Dyckman Street. He stayed conscious. He bled in the street. Driver inattention marked the crash.

A 42-year-old man riding an e-scooter was struck head-on by a northbound car near Dyckman Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. According to the police report, the man turned left on his scooter when the car hit him. He was ejected, suffered severe head lacerations, and remained conscious but bleeding on the street. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor in the crash. No mention of helmet use or signaling appears in the report. The impact and injury highlight the dangers faced by vulnerable road users on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4568399, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15