District 27: Blood on the Asphalt, Silence in City Hall

A truck and SUV collided on Merrick Blvd. Brakes failed. Three people suffered neck injuries. One driver crushed. Passengers whiplashed. Metal and glass. System failed them. Streets in Queens ran red with pain.

A collision between a box truck and a sport utility vehicle unfolded on Merrick Blvd at Archer Ave in Queens. According to the police report, defective brakes contributed to the crash. Three occupants, including a 55-year-old male driver and two female passengers aged 55 and 86, sustained neck injuries—one with crush injuries, two with whiplash. The report lists 'Brakes Defective' as the primary contributing factor for both vehicles. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants were listed but did not report injuries. The crash highlights the danger posed by mechanical failures on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4812602, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan and a flatbed collided at Francis Lewis Boulevard and 115th Avenue. A child suffered head injuries. An adult driver took crush wounds to the arm. Police cited driver inexperience and distraction. The street saw pain. The system failed again.

A crash involving a sedan and a flatbed truck unfolded at Francis Lewis Boulevard and 115th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, a 27-year-old driver and a 4-year-old passenger were injured. The child sustained head injuries and whiplash. The adult driver suffered crush injuries to the upper arm. Police listed 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. Both vehicles were turning—one left, one right—when the collision occurred. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report highlights driver errors as the main causes. Helmet use or signaling were not cited as factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4810718, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Steel grinds to a halt on Liberty Avenue. A Mack truck strikes a woman outside the roadway. Her shoulder torn, blood pooling. Sirens slice the air. The driver walks away as the city absorbs another wound.

A Mack truck traveling west on Liberty Avenue near 150th Street struck a 56-year-old woman who was standing outside the roadway, according to the police report. The report states the truck was 'slowing or stopping' when its right front bumper hit the pedestrian, causing severe lacerations to her upper arm and shoulder. The woman was left semiconscious at the scene, her blood marking the pavement. Police explicitly cite 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor for both the driver and the crash overall. The driver, a 56-year-old man, remained licensed and walked away from the scene. The police report does not list any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The incident underscores the persistent danger posed by large vehicles and driver inattention on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808684, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

At 113th Avenue and 204th Street, a sedan plowed into a moped head-on. The rider, helmeted and conscious, was hurled and bled from wounds across his body. Police cite traffic control disregard. Steel met flesh. System failed.

According to the police report, a sedan struck a moped head-on at the corner of 113th Avenue and 204th Street in Queens at 1:10 p.m. The moped rider, a 49-year-old man, was thrown from his vehicle and suffered severe bleeding and injuries to his entire body. The report states the rider was wearing a helmet and remained conscious after the crash. Police explicitly cite 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor, indicating that a driver ignored a traffic signal or sign. The sedan's impact was centered on the moped's front end. The report makes no mention of any error or infraction by the moped rider. The collision underscores the lethal consequences when drivers disregard traffic controls.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4795876, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 42-year-old man, walking outside the crosswalk on 89th Avenue, was struck by two westbound SUVs. His leg was crushed beneath steel. He remained conscious as pain demanded amputation. The drivers’ view was blocked. Failure to yield sealed his fate.

According to the police report, a 42-year-old man was walking outside the crosswalk on 89th Avenue near 168th Street in Queens when he was struck by two westbound vehicles—a sedan and an SUV. The narrative states, 'His leg crushed beneath steel. He stayed awake. The pain spoke plainly: amputation.' The report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors, explicitly citing driver error as central to the crash. The sedan was starting from parking, while the SUV was going straight ahead. The pedestrian suffered severe injury to his lower leg, resulting in amputation, but remained conscious throughout. The report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The impact and aftermath underscore the lethal consequences of driver inattention and obstructed views on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4790442, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Toyota RAV4 jumped the curb on 90th Avenue, slammed into a garage, and collapsed the structure. The driver, Mamadou Barry, was trapped. First responders pulled him out, but he died at the hospital. No other injuries reported.

According to NY Daily News (2025-01-22), Mamadou Barry, 63, was driving his Toyota RAV4 along 90th Ave. in Jamaica, Queens, around 5:20 a.m. when he lost control, hopped a curb at 143rd St., and crashed into a detached garage. The impact caused the garage to collapse onto both his SUV and a parked, unoccupied Prius. Police said Barry was trapped and later died at Jamaica Hospital. The article notes, 'he lost control of the SUV, which went crashing into a detached garage in Queens, police said.' Family members stated Barry had no known medical issues. The cause of the crash remains unclear. No other injuries were reported. The incident highlights the dangers faced by drivers and bystanders in residential areas where structures sit close to the street.

• Uber Driver Dies in Queens Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-01-22

A sedan slammed into a 50-year-old cyclist near Liberty Avenue. The car’s front end crushed the man’s leg. He stayed conscious, pain sharp, bike twisted. Police cite driver distraction. The car rolled on, unscathed. The street bore the wound.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling south on 170th Street near Liberty Avenue struck a 50-year-old man riding a bicycle. The report states the car’s center front end hit the cyclist, crushing his leg and leaving him with serious injuries, though he remained conscious at the scene. The police document lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor in the crash. The sedan showed no damage, while the bicycle was left twisted on the street. No evidence in the report points to any cyclist error or behavior as a cause. The collision underscores the systemic danger posed when drivers fail to pay attention, with vulnerable road users bearing the brunt of the impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4785438, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council calls on the MTA to lock in Access-A-Ride’s on-demand e-hail pilot. Riders with disabilities and seniors need fast, flexible trips. Demand surges. The program means fewer waits, more freedom. The city urges permanence. Vulnerable New Yorkers depend on it.

Resolution 0695-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced December 19, 2024, it urges the MTA to make the Access-A-Ride On-Demand E-Hail Pilot Program permanent. The resolution states: 'The Council of the City of New York calls on the MTA to make permanent the Access-A-Ride On-Demand E-Hail Pilot Program.' Council Member Nantasha M. Williams leads as primary sponsor, joined by Menin, Riley, Cabán, Brannan, and Hanif. The program, launched in 2017, lets people with disabilities and seniors book paratransit rides on demand, not days in advance. Ridership jumped from 7,386 to 22,372 monthly trips in one year. The council wants the MTA to expand access and improve service. The resolution centers vulnerable riders, demanding transit that meets their needs.

• File Res 0695-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-12-19

Council bill Int 1131-2024 would create a task force to study safer street design as e-bike use surges. The group must report back in 270 days. The bill sits in committee. Streets remain unchanged. Vulnerable road users wait for action.

Int 1131-2024, now laid over in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, calls for a task force to study street design and infrastructure safety in response to rising electric bicycle use and related collisions. The bill was introduced December 5, 2024, with Council Member Gale A. Brewer as primary sponsor and Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Julie Won, Julie Menin, Shekar Krishnan, Farah N. Louis, Chi A. Ossé, Nantasha M. Williams, Alexa Avilés, Crystal Hudson, Carlina Rivera, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams as co-sponsors. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law in relation to the establishment of a task force to study options for making street design and infrastructure safer in consideration of increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions.' The committee laid the bill over on December 11, 2024. The task force, if created, must deliver recommendations for legislation and policy within 270 days. Vulnerable road users—pedestrians, cyclists, e-bike riders—remain at risk while the city studies its next move.

• File Int 1131-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-12-05

A BMW SUV struck a 74-year-old woman on Linden Boulevard at 205th Street. She lay bleeding from the head, conscious but motionless. The driver did not stop. No skid marks. No damage. Only blood and silence in the sun.

According to the police report, a BMW SUV traveling east on Linden Boulevard at 205th Street struck a 74-year-old woman. The report states she suffered a head injury with severe bleeding and was found conscious but motionless. The driver did not remain at the scene. The police report notes 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. There were no skid marks and no visible damage to the vehicle, as documented in the report. The narrative describes, 'Just blood on the street and silence in the sun.' The report does not cite any pedestrian actions or behaviors as contributing factors. The focus remains on the driver's inattention and the failure to stop after the collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4760748, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council bill Int 1069-2024 slashes legal parking time for tractor-trailers and similar trucks to 90 minutes. Commercial vehicles clogging curbs will face tighter limits. The measure targets streets where hulking rigs linger, blocking sightlines and endangering walkers and riders.

Int 1069-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on September 26, 2024. The bill reads: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reducing the maximum time commercial vehicles may park." It limits parking for tractor-trailer combinations, tractors, truck trailers, and semi-trailers to 90 minutes, down from three hours. Council Member Kevin C. Riley leads as primary sponsor, joined by Nantasha M. Williams, Darlene Mealy, Sandy Nurse, and others. The bill was referred to committee the day it was introduced. No safety analyst has yet assessed the direct impact on vulnerable road users, but the measure aims to keep large trucks from blocking curbs and crosswalks, where they threaten pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 1069-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Council passed a law letting pedestrians cross streets anywhere, at any time. Jaywalking is now legal. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks or against signals. The law shifts blame from walkers to drivers. Streets belong to people again.

Int 0346-2024, now Local Law 98 of 2024, was enacted by the City Council on October 26, 2024, after passing the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way," lets pedestrians cross roadways at any point, even against traffic signals. It erases penalties for so-called jaywalking. Sponsors include Tiffany Cabán (primary), Lincoln Restler, Crystal Hudson, Shahana K. Hanif, Julie Won, Mercedes Narcisse, Darlene Mealy, Erik D. Bottcher, and Farah N. Louis. The Council voted overwhelmingly in favor. The law requires the Department of Transportation to educate all road users about these new rights. By ending jaywalking enforcement, the city removes a tool often used to blame victims and target the vulnerable. The law marks a shift: streets are for people, not just cars.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

An e-bike rider turned on 165th Street, failed to yield, and struck a woman stepping from a car. She fell hard, blood pooling, her leg torn open. The rider kept going. The street bore witness. No damage to the bike. Only flesh.

A woman, age 54, was seriously injured on 165th Street near Jamaica Avenue in Queens when an e-bike rider making a right turn struck her as she stepped down from a car, according to the police report. The report states the e-bike 'did not stop' and that the rider 'kept going.' The woman suffered severe lacerations to her lower leg, with blood visible on the pavement. The police report identifies 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the sole contributing factor, explicitly attributing the crash to the e-bike rider's actions. The victim was not at an intersection and was in the process of getting on or off a vehicle when struck. No damage was reported to the e-bike. The narrative centers the impact and aftermath, underscoring the consequences of driver error.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747636, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Lincoln sedan tore into a boy on a bike. Blood pooled on 229th Street. The child’s head split open. The car’s right front crumpled. The boy stayed conscious, pain sharp and bright. Queens pavement bore the mark.

A nine-year-old boy riding a bike was struck by a northbound Lincoln sedan near 116th Avenue and 229th Street in Queens, according to the police report. The report describes the scene: 'A 9-year-old boy on a bike, no helmet, struck by a northbound Lincoln. Head wound. Blood pooled on the pavement. The sedan’s right front crumpled. The child stayed conscious.' The crash left the child with a severe head injury and heavy bleeding. The police report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. The report notes the boy was not wearing a helmet, but places this detail after the collision and does not cite it as a cause. The sedan’s right front bumper bore the brunt of the impact. No driver errors are cited in the police report. The collision underscores the vulnerability of children on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4738477, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council pushes DOT to post clear bus lane signs on every block. Hours and days must be public, online and on the street. Riders and walkers get clarity. No more guessing. The bill sits in committee. Streets wait for answers.

Int 0647-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced March 7, 2024. The bill orders the Department of Transportation to post signs on every block with bus lane restrictions, showing exact hours and days. DOT must also keep this information updated online. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to bus lane restrictions.' Council Members Althea V. Stevens (primary sponsor), Kevin C. Riley, Chris Banks, Chi A. Ossé, Nantasha M. Williams, Carmen N. De La Rosa, Amanda Farías, and Yusef Salaam co-sponsored. The bill aims to end confusion for all street users. Clear rules mean fewer surprises. The measure awaits further action in committee.

• File Int 0647-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-03-07

A Ford sedan surged north on Cross Island Parkway. Aggressive driving. Road rage. The right front struck hard. The driver, 54, belted in, never woke. One man, one car, one deadly burst. Then silence.

According to the police report, a 2016 Ford sedan was traveling north on Cross Island Parkway when it crashed, resulting in the death of the sole occupant, a 54-year-old male driver. The report states, 'Aggressive driving. Road rage.' The right front of the vehicle struck hard, causing fatal injuries to the driver, who was wearing a lap belt and harness. The contributing factor listed is 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage,' highlighting reckless behavior behind the wheel. No other vehicles or road users were involved, and no victim behaviors are cited as contributing factors. The police narrative underscores the systemic danger posed by aggressive driving, with the crash ending in silence and loss.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4706349, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council moves to form an advisory board on school crossing guard deployment. NYPD, DOT, and DOE must join. The board will send reports twice a year to city leaders. The aim: track, review, and recommend guard placement. Streets near schools stay dangerous.

Bill Int 0448-2024 sits in the Committee on Public Safety. Introduced February 28, 2024, it calls for an advisory board on school crossing guard deployment. The board would include the NYPD, Department of Transportation, and Department of Education. According to the bill summary: 'Such advisory board would be responsible for submitting biannual reports, relating to recommended deployment of school crossing guards, to the Mayor, the City Council Speaker and the Police Commissioner.' Council Member Kamillah Hanks leads as primary sponsor, joined by Stevens, Schulman, Salaam, Won, Cabán, Riley, Farías, Restler, Williams, Narcisse, Banks, Louis, Brooks-Powers, Marmorato, and the Bronx Borough President. The bill demands city agencies work together, but it does not guarantee more guards or safer crossings. The danger for children at city intersections remains.

• File Int 0448-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill Int 0255-2024 demands NYPD track every time officers use cars as weapons. No more hiding behind vague reports. The city must count each incident. Data will show the toll. Vulnerable New Yorkers deserve the truth.

Int 0255-2024 sits in the Committee on Public Safety after introduction on February 28, 2024. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to use of force incidents involving police department use of a motor vehicle," forces the NYPD to add 'use of a motor vehicle to gain control of a subject' as a specific reporting category in quarterly and annual use of force reports. Council Member Lincoln Restler leads as primary sponsor, joined by Hudson, Won, Hanif, Bottcher, Brewer, Avilés, Abreu, Ossé, Krishnan, Williams, Cabán, Nurse, Sanchez, and the Brooklyn Borough President. The bill targets a gap: current NYPD reports do not name motor vehicles as a means of force. This change brings police violence by car into the light, exposing patterns that endanger pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

• File Int 0255-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council wants NYPD to show where crossing guards stand. The bill orders a map online. Streets are dangerous. Kids cross in chaos. The public will see the gaps. The city must face the truth in plain sight.

Int 0447-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reporting on crossing guard deployment," demands the NYPD post an online map showing where crossing guards are stationed. Council Member Kamillah Hanks leads as primary sponsor, joined by Stevens, Schulman, Menin, Salaam, Brewer, Marte, and others, including a request from the Bronx Borough President. The bill is for 'informational purposes only,' but the impact is clear: families and advocates will finally see where the city leaves children exposed. The measure forces transparency. It makes the city’s priorities visible block by block.

• File Int 0447-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28

Council bill Int 0143-2024 would pay up to $1,000 for tips that help catch hit-and-run drivers who injure or kill. The bill targets the silence that lets drivers vanish. It aims to bring justice for victims left bleeding in the street.

Int 0143-2024, now in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced on February 28, 2024. The bill seeks to amend city law 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 leads as primary sponsor, joined by Brooks-Powers, Narcisse, Vernikov, Louis, Bottcher, Hudson, Gennaro, and Williams. The bill authorizes the mayor, on the police commissioner's recommendation, to offer up to $1,000 for actionable tips. Law enforcement and city or state employees are excluded. The bill responds to the grim fact that many hit-and-runs go unsolved, leaving victims and families without answers. It aims to break the code of silence and help bring reckless drivers to justice.

• File Int 0143-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-28