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

A Mazda tore into the night on Cross Island Parkway. It hit hard, front-first. The passenger, 39, died with a broken neck. The driver, on a permit, survived with chest injuries. Alcohol was a factor. The road stayed silent. Lives changed.

A 2007 Mazda sedan crashed on Cross Island Parkway at 2:23 a.m. Three people were inside. The front passenger, a 39-year-old man, was killed with a broken neck. The driver, a 41-year-old woman with only a permit, suffered chest fractures. A 17-year-old rear passenger was ejected and injured. According to the police report, 'Alcohol was there.' The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor for all occupants. The driver held only a permit, not a full license. The car was demolished. No mention of helmet or signal use as a factor. The crash left one dead, two hurt, and a family changed forever.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4529634, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council tried to stop repair shops and rentals from clogging streets with cars. The bill set steep fines and allowed impoundment. It died at session’s end. Streets stay crowded. Danger for walkers and riders remains. No relief for the vulnerable.

Int 0393-2022 was introduced on May 19, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill aimed to prohibit commercial establishments—repair shops, rental agencies, maintenance shops—from parking, storing, or idling vehicles on city streets. The matter summary states: 'This bill would prohibit commercial establishments from parking vehicles on city streets as part of their business.' Civil penalties ranged from $250 to $400 per day, with possible impoundment. Sponsors included Kalman Yeger (primary), Carlina Rivera, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Kevin C. Riley, Marjorie Velázquez, Erik D. Bottcher, Nantasha M. Williams, and Robert F. Holden. The bill was filed at the end of the session on December 31, 2023. No safety analyst assessment was provided. The bill’s failure leaves streets crowded with commercial vehicles, keeping vulnerable road users at risk.

• File Int 0393-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-05-19

Two sedans met head-on in the dark on 113 Avenue. Steel twisted. A 23-year-old driver, semiconscious, was pinned with crush injuries to his shoulder. Glass scattered. Both cars struck left-front. Neither yielded. The street fell silent.

Two sedans collided head-on on 113 Avenue. According to the police report, both vehicles struck left-front, and neither yielded. A 23-year-old male driver was left semiconscious and pinned with crush injuries to his shoulder and upper arm. Three others, ages 57, 27, and 61, were also involved and suffered unspecified injuries. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor for both drivers. The crash happened in darkness, leaving the street quiet and littered with broken glass. No other contributing factors were cited in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4524852, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan reversed on Zoller Road. It struck a parked tow truck’s rear bumper. The driver, 38, wore a lap belt. He did not survive. The street fell silent. Metal marked the end. The crash left one dead. No other injuries reported.

A deadly crash unfolded on Zoller Road near Sidway Place in Queens. According to the police report, a sedan reversed into a parked tow truck. The sedan’s driver, a 38-year-old man, wore a lap belt but did not survive the impact. The tow truck’s right rear bumper bore the mark of the collision. The police report lists 'Following Too Closely' as a contributing factor. No other injuries were reported. The tow truck was parked and unoccupied at the time. The crash left the street quiet, marked by loss and the scar of metal.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4524723, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council bill Int 0256-2022 would force NYPD to count every time an officer uses a car to control someone. The law closes a reporting loophole. Police vehicles are now named as weapons. The bill was filed at session’s end. No action taken.

Int 0256-2022, introduced April 28, 2022, in the Committee on Public Safety, sought to amend the city code to require NYPD to report when officers use a motor vehicle as force. The bill’s matter title reads: “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.” Council Member Althea V. Stevens led as primary sponsor, joined by 26 co-sponsors including Hudson, Williams, Restler, Krishnan, and others. The bill would have added 'use of a motor vehicle to gain control of a subject' as a reporting category. It was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, and did not advance. This measure aimed to expose police vehicle violence by demanding full transparency in use-of-force reporting.

• File Int 0256-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-04-28

Two sedans slammed head-on in the dark on 99 Avenue. Metal twisted. A young man in the middle seat bled hard from the face. Drivers and passengers hurt. Signals ignored. The street fell silent under wreckage and blood.

Two sedans collided head-on on 99 Avenue. According to the police report, both vehicles ignored traffic controls. The crash left a 22-year-old male passenger with severe facial bleeding, a 23-year-old male driver with neck injuries, and a 29-year-old male driver with back injuries. All were conscious and belted. The report states: “Signals were ignored. Speed unchecked.” The listed contributing factor is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' No mention of helmet or signal use as a cause. The crash underscores the danger when drivers disregard traffic controls, leaving passengers and drivers wounded in the aftermath.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4521741, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Honda crashed into a parked Nissan in Queens before dawn. Metal twisted. Three men hurt. Blood on faces. One passenger bled badly but stayed conscious. Alcohol played a part. The street was quiet. The danger was not.

A Honda sedan struck a parked Nissan on 104th Avenue near 186th Street in Queens at 4 a.m. Three men were injured. According to the police report, 'Alcohol was involved.' The 22-year-old front passenger suffered severe bleeding to his face but remained conscious. The 23-year-old Honda driver had minor facial bleeding. Another driver, age 24, reported neck pain. The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. Both injured drivers and the passenger were using seat belts. The crash left the Honda’s front end crushed. The Nissan was parked and unoccupied. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4522904, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council bill Int 0147-2022 would force DOT to answer traffic device requests in 60 days. No more endless waits. Denials must show crash data and study details. Brannan, Yeger, Won, Restler, Williams, and Nurse back the push. The bill died in committee.

Int 0147-2022 was introduced on April 14, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill required the Department of Transportation to issue a traffic study determination within 60 days of a request for a traffic control device by a council member or community board. The matter summary reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring that traffic study determinations be issued no later than 60 days from the date a traffic control device is requested by a city council member or community board.' Council Members Brannan, Yeger (primary), Won, Restler, Williams, and Nurse sponsored the bill. The measure aimed to end delays and force transparency by requiring denials to include crash data and study summaries. The bill was filed at the end of session and did not become law.

• File Int 0147-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-04-14

A Toyota SUV hit a westbound e-scooter at 223rd Street and 111th Avenue. The 19-year-old rider suffered deep leg wounds. His scooter was crushed. The SUV’s front end dented. The driver kept straight. Failure to yield marked the crash.

A Toyota SUV struck a 19-year-old e-scooter rider at the corner of 223rd Street and 111th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV hit the westbound scooter, leaving the rider with severe lacerations to his leg. The scooter was demolished. The SUV’s front end was damaged, but the vehicle continued straight after impact. Police identified 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor for both the SUV driver and the e-scooter rider. The rider was not using any safety equipment, as noted in the report, but the primary cause listed was the driver’s failure to yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4513903, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Steel met steel on 212th Street. Two sedans crashed. A teenager bled from the head. Another’s hip crushed. Parked cars struck, glass scattered. Night held the wreckage and pain. The street fell silent after the chaos.

Two sedans collided near 212th Street and 110th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the crash left a 17-year-old passenger with injuries to his entire body and a complaint of pain. An 18-year-old passenger suffered severe head bleeding. One driver, age 26, sustained crush injuries to his hip and upper leg. Another 18-year-old driver reported whiplash. Parked cars were struck and damaged. The police report lists 'Other Vehicular' as the contributing factor for both vehicles. No specific driver errors such as speeding or failure to yield are noted in the data. Safety equipment is only mentioned for some occupants and is not listed as a contributing factor. The crash left metal twisted and lives changed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4513786, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Four sedans crash on Farmers Boulevard. Metal twists. Glass flies. A 23-year-old woman dies at the wheel. Engines stop. The street grows quiet. The system fails. No clear cause. Only loss remains.

On Farmers Boulevard, four sedans collided midday. According to the police report, a 23-year-old woman, belted in her car, died at the scene. The crash involved vehicles traveling north, south, and east, with one parked sedan struck. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. All injuries except the fatality are unspecified. The police report states: 'Farmers Boulevard, midday—four sedans collide. A 23-year-old woman, belted in her car, dies at the wheel. Glass scatters. Metal folds. Engines go still. The street holds her silence.' No helmet or signal issues are cited. The cause remains officially unspecified in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4510803, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Five neighborhoods bleed under car wheels. East New York, East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, Jamaica. Council members speak. Some call for bike lanes, street redesigns, real safety. Others hesitate. The toll mounts. Streets remain hostile. Vision Zero falters.

This council action, highlighted in a January 3, 2022 Streetsblog NYC article, spotlights deadly streets in East New York, East Flatbush, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Williamsburg, and Jamaica. The matter, 'Vision Zero Epicenters: 5 Dangerous Neighborhoods that Should Be on Eric Adams’s Agenda,' draws statements from council members. Charles Barron (East New York) showed initial reluctance but later acknowledged the need for safety and equity. Rita Joseph (East Flatbush) demanded urgent improvements, saying, 'We can and must do better as a city.' Chi Ossé (Bedford-Stuyvesant) called for expanded safe corridors. Lincoln Restler (Williamsburg) pushed for 'Vision Zero on steroids' and a network of protected bike lanes. Nantasha Williams (Jamaica) recognized the need for redesigns to curb speeding. The council’s stance: most support protected bike lanes, street redesigns, and Vision Zero policy, but action lags as deaths and injuries climb.

• Vision Zero Epicenters: 5 Dangerous Neighborhoods that Should Be on Eric Adams’s Agenda, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-03