Crash Count for District 21
Crashes: Collisions involving cars, bikes, and pedestrians. 4,334
All Injuries: Any injury from a reported crash. 2,393
Moderate: Broken bones, concussions, and other serious injuries. 447
Serious: Life-altering injuries: amputations, paralysis, severe trauma. 21
Deaths: Lives lost to traffic violence. 9
Data from Jan 1, 2022 to Jun 7, 2025
Who’s Injuring and Killing Pedestrians in District 21?
SUVs/Cars 72 4 1 Trucks/Buses 6 1 1 Motos/Mopeds 5 0 0 Bikes 4 0 0
Nine Dead, Thousands Hurt—Moya Blocks Life-Saving Streets

Nine Dead, Thousands Hurt—Moya Blocks Life-Saving Streets

District 21: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025

The Numbers Do Not Lie

Nine dead. Twenty-one left with serious injuries. In just over three years, District 21 has seen 4,314 crashes. The wounded fill hospital beds. The dead leave empty chairs. Children, cyclists, workers—no one is spared. In the last year alone, two people died and six suffered life-changing wounds. The youngest lost was eight, crossing with the light, crushed by a turning truck. The oldest was 43, killed in a parked SUV. The violence is slow, steady, and everywhere.

One Night, One Family Shattered

On February 26, 2025, a man ran a red light on Northern Boulevard. He was drunk, high, and driving more than three times the speed limit. He hit Justin Diaz, 23, on his way to work. Justin died at the scene. His brother said, “Pena will walk the streets for a $50,000 bail… Justin will never walk the streets again”. The driver had 25 school zone speeding tickets. Still, he drove. Still, he killed. Queens DA Melinda Katz called it out plain: “Drunk, drugged and reckless driving are dire threats to everyone on our shared roadways”.

Leadership: Progress and Roadblocks

Council Member Francisco Moya has voted for some safety bills—greenways, greener medians, step street lighting. He backed a bill to legalize jaywalking, ending a law that blamed victims for crossing the street (NYC Council – Legistar). But Moya has also slowed progress. He led efforts to delay street redesigns, requiring more notice before removing parking or car lanes. He lobbied against bus and bike lanes on Northern Boulevard and 111th Street. The city’s own data shows open streets like Paseo Park cut injuries by half, but Moya blocked its expansion into his district.

What Comes Next

Every day without change is another day of blood on the street. Call Council Member Moya. Demand he support protected bike lanes, bus lanes, and a 20 mph speed limit. Demand he stop blocking proven safety projects. Join groups like Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets. The dead cannot call. The living must.

Take action now.

Citations

Citations
Other Geographies

District 21 Council District 21 sits in Queens, Precinct 115.

It contains East Elmhurst, North Corona, Corona, Laguardia Airport, Queens CB80.

See also
Boroughs
State_assembly_districts
State Senate Districts

Traffic Safety Timeline for Council District 21

Moya Criticizes City Hall NIMBYism Blocking Safety Projects

City Hall blocks street redesigns. Adams’s aides halt bus lanes, bike paths, pedestrian zones. Projects stall at political whim. DOT morale drops. Vulnerable road users wait. Streets stay deadly. Bureaucracy wins. Safety loses.

On October 17, 2022, Streetsblog NYC reported that City Hall, under Mayor Adams, is obstructing key street safety projects. The article, titled 'A NIMBY City Hall: Adams Appointees Thwart Key Bike and Bus Projects,' details how the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) delays or blocks bus lanes, bike lanes, Citi Bike expansion, and pedestrianization. Appointees Tiffany Raspberry and Menashe Shapiro, both lacking transportation backgrounds, are named as obstacles. Council Members Francisco Moya, Bob Holden, and Oswald Feliz, all Adams allies, have influenced these delays. DOT officials describe a new layer of bureaucracy: 'The threshold for stopping any single project, it’s almost nonexistent.' Projects like Northern Boulevard bus lanes and Fordham Road improvements are on hold. DOT morale is low. The city’s promise of $904 million for street safety is undermined by political interference. Vulnerable road users remain at risk as progress stalls.


Drowsy E-Scooter Rider Thrown on Roosevelt Avenue

A 31-year-old man rode an e-scooter on Roosevelt Avenue. Fatigue took hold. He lost control. He flew from the scooter. His head struck the pavement. Blood pooled. He lay semiconscious, alone, bleeding into the city’s noise.

A 31-year-old man was severely injured while riding an e-scooter near 124-02 Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the rider was 'drowsy on an e-scooter' and was ejected from the vehicle. He struck his head on the pavement and suffered severe bleeding, lying semiconscious at the scene. The report lists 'Fatigued/Drowsy' as the primary contributing factor in the crash. No helmet was worn, as noted in the data, but this detail follows the identification of driver error. The crash left the rider alone and gravely hurt, another victim of the city’s relentless traffic violence.


2
Distracted SUV Driver Hits Two Pedestrians in Queens

A Jeep sped east on 37th Avenue. The driver looked away. Two men walked against traffic. The SUV struck them. Both were ejected. Blood pooled. One man’s head split open. Both lay unconscious. The street turned silent. The driver was distracted.

Two pedestrians were struck by a Jeep SUV traveling east on 37th Avenue near 106th Street in Queens. According to the police report, the driver was inattentive and distracted. The SUV hit two men walking against traffic, ejecting both from the roadway. One suffered severe head trauma and bleeding, the other sustained internal injuries. Both were found unconscious at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. Neither pedestrian was blamed in the report. The data notes that neither injured pedestrian used safety equipment, but this is mentioned only after the driver’s error. The crash left both men broken on the blacktop, victims of a moment’s distraction behind the wheel.


Teen Cyclist Thrown Head-First in Queens Crash

A 13-year-old girl rode her bike down 111th Street. She struck something head-on. She flew from the seat. Her head hit the pavement. Blood pooled. She was conscious but hurt. Police blamed inexperience. No helmet. The street stayed quiet.

A 13-year-old girl riding a bike alone near 53-51 111th Street in Queens crashed head-on and was ejected from her bike, suffering a head injury and severe bleeding. According to the police report, 'A 13-year-old girl, unlicensed and alone on a bike, struck head-on. Thrown to the pavement, bleeding from the head. No helmet. Conscious. Still. The cause: inexperience.' The report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as the primary contributing factor. The girl was unlicensed and wore no helmet, as noted in the data. No other vehicles or people were involved. The crash left the young cyclist injured and the street marked by silence.


Cyclist Thrown After Striking Parked SUV in Queens

A man on a bike slammed into a parked SUV on 104th Street. His body flew. His arm split open. Blood spilled onto the street. He lay conscious, bleeding, as the SUV stood still. No helmet. No warning. The street stayed silent.

A 40-year-old man riding a bike crashed into a parked SUV near 46th Avenue and 104th Street in Queens. According to the police report, 'A man on a bike hit a parked SUV. His body flew. His arm split open. Blood poured. No helmet. No warning. The SUV stood still. He lay in the street, conscious, and bleeding.' The cyclist suffered severe bleeding and arm injuries. No contributing driver errors were listed in the data. The SUV was parked and undamaged. The report notes the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but no helmet use was listed as a contributing factor. No other injuries were reported.


Distracted Driver Hits Pedestrian on 114th Street

A man stepped from behind a parked car on 114th Street. A driver pulled out, distracted. The car’s front struck the man’s face. Blood ran. He stayed conscious. The street bore witness. The system failed to protect him.

A 39-year-old man was injured on 114th Street near 42nd Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, he stepped from behind a parked car when a vehicle pulled from the curb and struck his face. The report states, “The driver was distracted.” The crash left the pedestrian with severe bleeding but conscious at the scene. The police list 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The vehicle’s center front end hit the man as it started from parking. No vehicle damage was reported. The data does not mention any other contributing factors from the pedestrian.


Int 0329-2022
Moya co-sponsors hit-and-run reward bill with no overall safety impact.

Council tried to pay tipsters for catching hit-and-run drivers who maim or kill. The bill died. No reward. No justice for victims. Streets stay dangerous. Drivers flee. Pedestrians and cyclists pay the price. Lawmakers failed to act.

Int 0329-2022 was introduced to the Committee on Public Safety on May 5, 2022. The bill aimed to amend the city code to 'establish a reward for individuals who provide information leading to the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of a person who seriously injures or kills another individual in a hit-and-run accident.' Council Member Rita C. Joseph sponsored the bill, joined by sixteen co-sponsors including Brooks-Powers, Narcisse, Vernikov, and others. The bill would have authorized up to $1,000 for information leading to the capture of hit-and-run drivers, but excluded law enforcement and city employees from eligibility. The measure was filed at the end of the session on December 31, 2023. With the bill's failure, the city offers no extra incentive to help catch drivers who leave victims bleeding in the street.


Broken Pavement Sends Cyclist Flying on 40 Drive

A 77-year-old man biked west on 40 Drive. The pavement gave way. He was thrown, struck his head, and died. No cars. No warning. The road failed. Darkness and silence followed.

A 77-year-old man riding his bike westbound on 40 Drive died after the pavement beneath him broke apart. According to the police report, 'The pavement broke beneath him. He flew, struck his head, and died alone in the dark.' The only listed contributing factor is 'Pavement Defective.' No other vehicles were involved. The cyclist was ejected and suffered fatal head injuries. The report does not mention helmet use as a contributing factor. This crash highlights the lethal risk posed by defective road conditions to people on bikes.