Two young riders dead on the Bronx River Parkway. The pattern didn’t start there.

Dec 3 - A Toyota SUV struck a man crossing Jerome Avenue. The driver looked away. The SUV’s front end crumpled. The man’s face bled, torn open. He stayed conscious in the Bronx night. Distraction behind the wheel left flesh and metal wrecked.

A 2018 Toyota SUV, heading south on Jerome Avenue near 196th Street, hit a 38-year-old man in the intersection. According to the police report, the pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to his face but remained conscious at the scene. The SUV’s front end was dented. The report states, “The driver had looked away.” The listed contributing factor is 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' No other contributing factors from the pedestrian are cited. The crash highlights the danger posed when drivers lose focus, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4684371 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 26 - A woman on a GOTRAX e-scooter was thrown from her ride on Sedgwick Avenue. She hit the street headfirst. Blood pooled. She lay unconscious. Distraction behind the handlebars. No helmet. The avenue stayed hard and unforgiving.

A 32-year-old woman riding a GOTRAX e-scooter on Sedgwick Avenue near Undercliff Avenue was ejected and struck her head, suffering severe bleeding and unconsciousness. According to the police report, 'Distraction carved the wound.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The woman was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary cause cited is distraction. No other vehicles or persons were involved. The street offered no protection. The crash left the rider gravely hurt, her blood marking the pavement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4674551 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 30 - A moped struck a car making a U-turn on Jerome Avenue. The rider’s legs shattered. He stayed conscious. Sirens came late. The street was quiet except for his scream. The crash left pain and broken bodies behind.

A moped rider, age 32, suffered severe crush injuries to his legs after colliding with a car making a U-turn on Jerome Avenue near East 184th Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the moped 'slammed into a car’s left side mid-U-turn.' The rider remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor in the crash. The moped was traveling straight when it struck the car’s left side doors. No helmet use or signaling issues were cited in the report. The crash highlights the danger faced by vulnerable road users on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4670159 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 29 - A Jeep smashed into a parked Volvo truck on Major Deegan. The Jeep’s front crumpled. Its driver, 51, bled from the face but stayed awake. Police list distraction as the cause. The truck never moved. Metal, blood, and silence followed.

A 1991 Jeep struck a parked Volvo truck on the Major Deegan Expressway. The Jeep’s front end folded in the crash. The driver, a 51-year-old man, suffered severe bleeding to his face but remained conscious. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' was the contributing factor. The Volvo truck was parked and did not move before the collision. No other injuries were reported. The data lists no errors for the parked truck. The only listed cause is distraction by the Jeep driver. No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4667683 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 26 - A 16-year-old on a moped slammed into a parked sedan on Kingsbridge Terrace. He flew from the seat. His head struck the street. Blood pooled. He stayed conscious, but his head was split open. Unsafe speed marked the crash.

A 16-year-old boy, unlicensed and riding a moped, crashed into a parked sedan on Kingsbridge Terrace in the Bronx. According to the police report, the moped was traveling at unsafe speed when it struck the left front bumper of the sedan. The impact ejected the teen from the moped. He landed hard, suffering severe head lacerations but remained conscious. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The teen was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary cause cited is unsafe speed. No other injuries were reported. The sedan was unoccupied and parked at the time of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4665781 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 23 - A woman on a moped slammed into a parked garbage truck on University Avenue. She flew from the seat. Her head hit the pavement. Blood pooled in the dark. She lay unconscious, her injuries grave. Distraction behind the handlebars proved deadly.

A 33-year-old woman riding a moped crashed into a parked garbage truck near 2265 University Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, she was ejected from the moped and suffered severe head lacerations, lying unconscious at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The woman was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary cause cited is driver distraction. The garbage truck was parked and sustained no damage. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4665012 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 27 - A man crossed Grand Concourse with the light. An e-scooter sped through. The frame smashed his face. Blood spilled. He fell, semiconscious. The scooter kept going. The street stayed hard and silent.

A 35-year-old man was crossing Grand Concourse with the signal when an e-scooter hit him at speed. According to the police report, 'A man crossed with the light. An e-scooter came fast. His face met the frame. Blood poured. He dropped, semiconscious, 35 years old. The scooter rolled on, untouched.' The pedestrian suffered severe bleeding and facial injuries, left semiconscious at the intersection. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The e-scooter showed no damage and continued on after the crash. No helmet or signal use is mentioned in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4657593 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 23 - A young man rode north on Grand Concourse. He swerved from a phantom car. His moped hit the street. He flew. His head struck concrete. He died before help arrived. No helmet. No license. No second chance.

A 23-year-old man was killed while riding a 2023 moped northbound on Grand Concourse near East 184th Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the rider, unlicensed and without a helmet, swerved in reaction to an uninvolved vehicle. He lost control, was ejected, and suffered fatal head injuries on impact. The report lists 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' as a contributing factor. No other vehicles or people were reported injured. The rider's lack of helmet and license are noted in the official report, after the primary cause. The crash left one dead before emergency services arrived.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4656320 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 3 - Rep. Adriano Espaillat worked behind closed doors to stall Fordham Road bus lane improvements. Bronx lawmakers, once supportive, fell silent or opposed. The project, meant to speed up buses for 85,000 riders, now faces more delays. Vulnerable riders remain stuck in slow, dangerous traffic.

On August 3, 2023, Rep. Adriano Espaillat quietly lobbied Bronx officials against proposed Fordham Road bus lane upgrades. The project, under city review since 2022, aimed to speed up buses for 85,000 daily riders by installing dedicated busways or offset lanes. According to Streetsblog, Espaillat leaned on younger electeds to align with Council Member Oswald Feliz, a vocal critic. 'He defers to the local elected officials, and all of them seem to be in agreement,' said Espaillat’s chief of staff, Aneiry Batista. Lawmakers who once supported the upgrades grew silent or opposed them after Espaillat’s intervention. The Department of Transportation, MTA, and governor’s office met with Espaillat to discuss the project, but delays persisted. The opposition from Feliz and business groups led DOT to scrap the most ambitious safety options. Riders, many without cars, remain exposed to slow, hazardous conditions as cars block bus lanes and traffic crawls.

• Rep. Adriano Espaillat Rallying Bronx Pols Against Fordham Road Bus Lane Fixes: Sources, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-08-03

Jul 30 - A Jeep turned right on West Kingsbridge Road. The driver was distracted. The SUV hit a man on a bike who stood still. Metal slammed flesh. The cyclist flew. His leg split open. Blood pooled. He stayed conscious through the pain.

A crash occurred on West Kingsbridge Road near University Avenue in the Bronx. A Jeep SUV, making a right turn, struck a 38-year-old man who was stopped on his bike. According to the police report, 'The driver was distracted.' The cyclist was ejected and suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg but remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Turning Improperly' as contributing factors. The cyclist was not cited for any error. The impact was direct and violent, leaving the vulnerable road user badly hurt while the driver’s distraction and improper turn led to the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4650732 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 13 - A Ford SUV swung wide on University Avenue. The moped hit head-on. The rider flew, helmetless. His skull split open. Blood pooled on the street. He survived. He remembers. The crash left scars and questions in the Bronx.

A Ford SUV made a wide U-turn on University Avenue near Morton Place. A moped, heading straight, struck the SUV head-on. According to the police report, the SUV driver was inattentive and speeding. The moped rider, unlicensed and not wearing a helmet, was ejected and suffered severe head injuries. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The moped rider, age 29, survived but sustained a split skull and severe lacerations. The crash left blood on the asphalt and a survivor who remembers every moment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4645187 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 28 - A man, fifty, struck by a westbound vehicle on Jerome Avenue. The car’s front end hit him. His leg was torn from knee to foot. He lay conscious, blood pooling on the asphalt. The street kept moving. The wound was brutal. The pain, unspoken.

A 50-year-old man walking near Jerome Avenue and East 183rd Street in the Bronx was struck by a westbound vehicle’s front end. According to the police report, the impact tore his leg from knee to foot. He remained conscious on the pavement as blood pooled around him. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The vehicle type and driver details are unspecified. The man suffered a traumatic amputation. No information is provided about the pedestrian’s actions or location at the time of the crash. The street kept moving as he lay injured. No helmet or signal use is mentioned.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4643627 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 13 - A Toyota sedan struck a baby boy on Grand Concourse. His hip shattered. He lay broken and incoherent in the street. The night was silent. The dark pressed in. No driver error listed. The child suffered. The city watched.

A Toyota sedan hit a baby boy near Grand Concourse and East 183rd Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the child’s hip was crushed. He lay in the street, incoherent, with severe injuries. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The boy, a pedestrian, suffered crush injuries to his hip and upper leg. No information is given about the driver’s actions or the circumstances leading up to the crash. The police report does not mention any helmet or signal use. The facts remain stark: a child was struck and gravely hurt by a car in the Bronx.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4637236 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 9 - Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden fight bus lane upgrades on Fordham Road. They claim to support transit but lobby against changes that would speed buses for 85,000 riders. Most locals walk or ride. Advocates call out hypocrisy. Powerful voices stall safer streets.

On June 9, 2023, Bronx institutions—the Zoo and the Botanical Garden—joined others to oppose the Department of Transportation’s Fordham Road busway plan. The matter: 'Bus Advocates Target Anti-Busway ‘Hypocrites’ at Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden.' Council Member Pierina Sanchez noted 70 percent of her district’s residents lack cars. The institutions sent a private letter to Mayor Adams, urging him to block all bus improvements. Riders Alliance and local residents accused them of hypocrisy, citing their public support for transit and environmental causes. The Botanical Garden’s representative demanded an Environmental Impact Statement, citing fears of more car traffic and pollution. Surveys show most Fordham Road shoppers walk or use transit. The opposition delays upgrades that would protect pedestrians and speed up commutes for thousands.

• Bus Advocates Target Anti-Busway ‘Hypocrites’ at Bronx Zoo and Botanical Garden, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-09

Jun 7 - DOT scrapped the Fordham Road busway. Bowed to business and institutional pressure. Riders lose. Offset bus lanes will replace the plan. Bus speeds will rise less. Bronx transit users, mostly car-free, get crumbs. Political muscle wins. Streets stay dangerous.

On June 7, 2023, the Department of Transportation (DOT) canceled the Fordham Road busway plan, citing 'community concerns.' The matter, discussed with the community advisory board on May 31, shifted focus to extending offset bus lanes instead. Council Member Pierina Sanchez, representing Kingsbridge, criticized the move: "My concern with the offset bus lane is that we're not going to see significant improvements." DOT's own studies showed a busway would have improved speeds by 30 percent, but the agency predicts only a 20 percent gain with the new plan. The decision followed lobbying from business groups and institutions, despite surveys showing most Bronx residents rely on transit. Riders Alliance spokesman Danny Pearlstein called the cancellation a disservice to bus riders. The change leaves 85,000 daily commuters with slower buses and no real safety or speed gains.

• DOT Nixes Fordham Road Busway Due To ‘Community Concerns’, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-07

Jun 6 - Steel met speed on the Major Deegan. An SUV crashed into a flatbed’s rear. A young woman in the front seat was trapped, her face torn. Blood on the highway. Unsafe speed left her wounded and conscious, caught in the wreck.

A Mercedes SUV struck the rear of a flatbed truck on the Major Deegan Expressway. According to the police report, the SUV hit the flatbed’s left rear bumper at unsafe speed. The crash left a 21-year-old woman, riding as a front passenger in the SUV, trapped and conscious with severe facial lacerations. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Other Vehicular' as contributing factors. The victim’s injuries were serious. No helmet or signal use is mentioned as a factor. The impact and speed combined to cause grave harm to the passenger.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4637039 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 1 - A car hit a man head-on at West Fordham Road and Loring Place North. His head split. Blood pooled by the curb. He tried to speak but could not. The driver was new. The night stayed silent.

A 41-year-old pedestrian was struck head-on by a vehicle at West Fordham Road and Loring Place North in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'The driver was new behind the wheel.' The man suffered severe head lacerations and was left incoherent at the scene. The only contributing factor listed is 'Driver Inexperience.' The impact was to the center front end of the vehicle. No other contributing factors, such as helmet or signal use, are noted in the data. The crash left the pedestrian gravely injured, with blood pooling by the curb.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4634415 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 22 - A 23-year-old man on a moped hit the curve on Jerome Avenue fast. He lost control. He flew from the seat. Blood pooled. His leg shattered. Skin split. Unsafe speed and a sharp lane change left him broken on Bronx pavement.

A 23-year-old man riding a moped south on Jerome Avenue at Morris Avenue in the Bronx crashed while traveling at unsafe speed and making an unsafe lane change. According to the police report, 'Speed and a sharp turn wrote the end.' The rider was ejected from the moped and suffered severe lacerations and a shattered leg. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Unsafe Lane Changing' as contributing factors. No helmet was worn, as noted in the data, but the primary causes were speed and lane movement. The crash left blood on the pavement and another mark in the city’s toll.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4631351 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 20 - A car hit a 17-year-old boy riding his bike near East 198th Street. The front end smashed him. His head was torn. Blood spread on the street. He stayed conscious, half-thrown from the bike. Traffic control was ignored. Doors bent. Flesh cut.

A 17-year-old male bicyclist was struck by a vehicle on Grand Concourse near East 198th Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the crash involved the center front end of a vehicle colliding with the right side doors of the bike. The boy suffered severe head lacerations and was partially ejected, but remained conscious at the scene. The report states, 'Traffic control ignored.' The listed contributing factor is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' No helmet use or signaling is mentioned as a contributing factor. The data shows a clear failure to obey traffic controls, leading to serious injury for the young cyclist.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4630902 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 20 - A Nova bus hit a 62-year-old man on an e-scooter at University Avenue and West Burnside. His head split open. Blood marked the street. The bus rolled on, untouched. The man lay broken. The city’s danger did not blink.

A Nova bus struck a 62-year-old man riding an e-scooter at the corner of University Avenue and West Burnside Avenue. According to the police report, the bus hit the man, leaving him semiconscious with severe head lacerations and blood on the pavement. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No driver errors are cited in the data. The e-scooter rider was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the narrative after the collision details. The bus continued on, unmarked. The crash left the vulnerable road user gravely injured, underscoring the risks faced by those outside steel and glass.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4622190 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19