Five Dead in District 35—Crystal Hudson, When Will It Stop?

Council moves to force brighter sidewalks. Bill orders 500 corridors lit each year. Shadows shrink. Pedestrians gain ground. Committee holds the bill. Streets wait.

Int 0079-2024, now laid over in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on February 8, 2024. The bill demands the city install pedestrian lighting in at least 500 commercial corridors per year, aiming for a minimum of 1 footcandle (11 lux) on every sidewalk. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installation of pedestrian lighting fixtures.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers leads as primary sponsor, joined by Restler, Krishnan, Bottcher, and others. The committee has not yet voted. The bill’s text sets clear targets for coverage and contiguity, but action is stalled. Vulnerable road users remain in the dark until the city acts.

• File Int 0079-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-02-08

A man rode north on Rogers Avenue. The pavement broke beneath him. He flew from his e-bike. His head struck the street. Blood pooled on the asphalt. He died there, alone, in the morning light.

A 37-year-old man riding an e-bike north on Rogers Avenue was killed after hitting defective pavement. According to the police report, the rider was ejected from his bike, struck his head, and died from severe bleeding. The report lists 'Pavement Defective' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The crash caused fatal head injuries. The police note the rider was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after the systemic hazard of broken pavement. No other vehicles or people were involved. The street failed him. The city failed him.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4692318 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Jeep rear-ended a diesel truck on Atlantic Avenue. The SUV’s front crumpled. The truck barely moved. An 88-year-old woman, belted in the front seat, died inside the wreck. She never made it out. Impact was sudden. Death was total.

A Jeep SUV struck the rear of a diesel tractor truck on Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A Jeep rear-ended a diesel truck. The SUV’s front folded. The truck barely moved. An 88-year-old woman, belted in the front seat, died. Her body shattered inside the car. She never got out.' The crash killed the elderly front-seat passenger. The report lists 'Following Too Closely' as a contributing factor. The passenger was wearing a lap belt and harness. No driver errors by the truck operator are listed. The force of the collision left the SUV destroyed at the front, while the truck sustained rear-end damage but remained largely unmoved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4681770 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A man turned left on Nostrand. His Yamaha smashed hard. The front crumpled. Blood pooled on the street. He stayed conscious. The pavement held him. The city watched, unmoved.

A 50-year-old man riding a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle was injured while turning left at Nostrand Avenue and Sterling Place in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the motorcycle struck hard, crumpling the front. The rider suffered severe head lacerations and remained conscious at the scene. The report notes he wore no helmet. No specific driver errors were listed beyond 'Unspecified' contributing factors. The crash left blood pooling on the street. The incident underscores the violence of impact when a vulnerable road user meets the city’s pavement.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4661121 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Nissan SUV struck a northbound moped from behind on Washington Avenue. The moped rider, helmeted and unlicensed, suffered a shattered pelvis. The SUV’s bumper split. The street fell silent. Driver inattention marked the crash.

A Nissan SUV rear-ended a northbound moped on Washington Avenue. The moped rider, a 50-year-old man, was helmeted but unlicensed. He sustained severe crush injuries to his pelvis and remained conscious at the scene. According to the police report, 'A Nissan SUV crushed into the rear of a northbound moped. The rider, 50, unlicensed but helmeted, lay conscious with a shattered pelvis.' The SUV’s bumper split from the impact. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The moped rider’s helmet use is noted, but the primary cause remains the SUV driver’s inattention. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4650160 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A van turned right on Rogers Avenue. A 72-year-old woman crossed with the signal. Metal hit flesh. She fell hard. Blood spread on the street. The driver kept going. She lay broken, bleeding, in shock.

A van struck a 72-year-old woman as she crossed Rogers Avenue with the signal. According to the police report, the van was making a right turn when it hit the pedestrian, causing severe bleeding and injuries to her entire body. The report states, 'A van turned right. A 72-year-old woman crossed with the signal. Metal struck her body. She fell. Blood pooled on the pavement. The man drove on.' The listed contributing factor is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The driver did not stop. The woman suffered serious injuries and was left in shock. No mention of helmet or signal use is listed as a contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648531 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Brooklyn family sues the city after a police van, driven recklessly by officers, killed Ronald Smith. The van sped, ran red lights, and struck Smith as he panhandled in the rain. The city faces charges of wrongful death and calls for accountability.

On July 10, 2023, the family of Ronald Smith filed a wrongful death lawsuit against New York City in Brooklyn Supreme Court. The suit alleges that Officers Orkhan Mamedov and Evan Siegel killed Smith by 'driving recklessly at nearly double the posted speed limit, at night, running red lights, in the wrong lane, with visibility limited by rain ... without justification or cause.' Smith was struck and killed while panhandling on Eastern Parkway. The officers, transporting prisoners, had no emergency but rushed to beat a shift change. Attorney David Rankin, representing the family, criticized the city's harsh treatment of victims' families, saying, 'The City of New York, in every instance where an employee kills somebody, puts the family and loved ones though a rigorous and unnecessarily brutal process.' Attorney General Letitia James cleared the officers of criminal charges but condemned their actions and called for NYPD procedural reform. The NYPD and city officials declined to comment further, while the family seeks both accountability and compensation.

• Family of Man Killed by Recklessly Driving Cop Sues City, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-07-10

A 17-year-old rode north on Bedford Avenue. He struck a parked SUV. His neck was crushed. He wore no helmet. The street was quiet. Blood pooled. He stayed awake. Driver inattention marked the crash.

A 17-year-old male riding a motorcycle north on Bedford Avenue collided with a parked SUV. According to the police report, 'A 17-year-old on a motorcycle struck a parked SUV. No helmet. His neck crushed. He stayed awake. The street was quiet. The boy bled alone.' The teen suffered crush injuries to his neck but remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The data also notes the absence of a helmet, but only after driver inattention. No other people were injured. The SUV was parked and unoccupied. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4629777 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A box truck drifted off Flushing Avenue and smashed into a parked SUV. The man inside, 38, died on impact. The SUV’s front buckled. The truck stood untouched. Police blamed driver distraction. No one else was hurt.

A fatal crash struck Flushing Avenue near North Oxford Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a box truck veered into a parked SUV. The man inside the SUV, age 38, was killed instantly. The SUV’s front was crushed. The box truck showed no damage. Police listed 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. No other injuries were reported. The report notes the SUV occupant was unbelted, but only after citing distraction as the primary cause. The data lists no errors by the victim. The crash underscores the deadly risk when drivers lose focus.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4623158 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A BMW sped east on Eastern Parkway. The driver lost focus. Metal smashed. The driver’s leg crushed. Two passengers hurt. Rain slicked the road. Three injured. The night echoed with the sound of steel.

A BMW sedan crashed on Eastern Parkway near Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the 24-year-old driver became distracted and lost control. The car struck an object, crushing the driver’s leg. Two passengers were also injured. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Pavement Slippery' as contributing factors. The BMW’s left side doors took the brunt of the impact. All three occupants were hurt. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left three people injured inside the car.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4625853 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Yamaha motorcycle hit a turning Ford SUV on Atlantic Avenue. The rider, 24, wore a helmet. He was thrown, crushed, broken under the SUV’s front. Seven in the SUV, including children, were unhurt. The street swallowed another body.

A Yamaha motorcycle slammed into the rear of a Ford SUV making a left turn at Atlantic Avenue and Grand Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the 24-year-old motorcyclist, who wore a helmet, was thrown from his bike and crushed under the SUV’s front, suffering injuries to his entire body. The Ford carried seven occupants, including five children and two adults, none of whom were reported injured. The police report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors for either vehicle. The motorcyclist’s helmet is noted in the data, but the impact proved fatal. The crash shows the deadly force of turning vehicles and the vulnerability of those on two wheels.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4618565 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan struck an SUV at Nostrand and Crown. Metal twisted. A 56-year-old man, trapped behind the wheel, died with crushed legs. Traffic control was ignored. The street did not stop. The crash left silence and broken glass in Brooklyn.

A deadly crash unfolded at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a sedan slammed into a sport utility vehicle. The impact trapped a 56-year-old male driver behind the wheel. He suffered severe leg injuries and died at the scene. The report states, 'Traffic control was ignored. The street did not stop.' The official contributing factor listed is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' No evidence in the report suggests any error or fault by the victim. The crash highlights the lethal consequences when drivers ignore traffic controls at busy intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4612732 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A woman turned left on her bike. A chassis cab hit her with its right front. She flew. Blood poured from her leg. She stayed awake. The truck rolled on, unmarked. Her knee did not.

A 40-year-old woman riding a bike was struck by a chassis cab on Navy Street near Nassau Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the cyclist was making a left turn when the truck hit her with its right front quarter panel. She was ejected from her bike, suffering severe bleeding and injury to her knee and lower leg, but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The truck showed no damage. The cyclist was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the crash was caused by driver inattention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4611231 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

NYC streets kill. Cars rule the city. Most people do not own one. Still, roads belong to drivers. Air chokes. Noise blares. Vision Zero fails. Other cities save lives. NYC rebuilds highways. The author demands bold change. Streets must serve people, not cars.

This opinion piece, published March 1, 2023, in Streetsblog NYC, argues that New York City streets themselves are a public nuisance. The article states, 'Most New York City households don’t own a car, yet most street space is given to motor vehicles, interfering with city life.' The author criticizes the Department of Transportation and city leaders for maintaining car dominance, rebuilding highways like the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and failing to meet Vision Zero goals. The piece cites Attorney General Letitia James’s stance on truck depots and calls for NYC to follow cities like Helsinki and Oslo, which have eliminated pedestrian deaths. The author urges the city to use federal funds to remove highways and reclaim streets for people, not cars. No council members are directly involved, as this is an editorial.

• Opinion: New York City Streets Should Themselves Be Illegal!, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-01

A developer pushes a new housing plan after his truck depot faces backlash. Council Member Richardson Jordan stands firm. She demands more affordable units and community input. Pollution from trucks draws fire. The fight pits profit against people in Harlem.

On February 2, 2023, Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan opposed a developer's push to swap a polluting truck depot for a new housing plan in Harlem. The developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, offered 'One45 Harlem for ALL,' promising 50% below-market-rate units. Richardson Jordan wants deeper affordability: 60% of units at 60% AMI, 30% at 30% AMI. She rejects private deals and insists on community-led negotiations. Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Attorney General Letitia James joined calls to shut the truck depot, citing pollution. Richardson Jordan's spokesperson said, 'Right now, the truck stand cannot be on the table whatsoever. That is not good faith.' The council member stands with her community, demanding clean air and real affordability.

• Truck Depot Developer Wants to Restart His Bid for ‘Affordable’ Housing — But How Affordable?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-02

Attorney General Letitia James called out a Harlem truck depot for endangering health and safety. Trucks bring noise, fumes, and danger to streets. Council Member Richardson Jordan and advocates rallied to stop it. The depot stands accused of harming a vulnerable community.

On January 30, 2023, Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement warning that a new truck depot at W. 145th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem may violate state law. James called the depot a potential 'public nuisance,' citing 'increased traffic, noise, vibrations, and local air pollution from trucks.' The matter, described as 'Attorney General James Says Harlem Truck Depot May Violate State Law,' centers on developer Bruce Teitelbaum’s project, which followed failed rezoning for affordable housing. Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams joined community members and Transportation Alternatives in opposition, arguing the depot 'will make our streets more dangerous.' Richardson Jordan thanked James for her support. The Attorney General’s office is considering legal action, echoing past interventions against similar depots. No formal council bill is attached, but the case highlights systemic threats to vulnerable road users in Harlem.

• Attorney General James Says Harlem Truck Depot May Violate State Law, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-01-30

Steel crushed flesh on Vanderbilt Avenue. An Audi SUV hit hard. The driver died, buckled in. His passenger, trapped, survived with crush wounds. Distraction ruled the wheel. The street fell silent. Metal and blood marked the spot.

A 2021 Audi SUV traveling west on Vanderbilt Avenue near Pacific Street crashed front-first. The 70-year-old male driver died at the scene, restrained by a lap belt and harness. His 60-year-old female passenger, also buckled in, suffered crush injuries but survived. According to the police report, 'Distraction at the wheel' was a contributing factor. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the cause. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The SUV was demolished. The crash left one dead, one injured, and a street marked by silence.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4594304 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A police van sped down Eastern Parkway. The driver watched soccer on his phone. He struck Ronald Smith, dragged him 40 feet, and failed to help. The NYPD refused comment. Smith’s family demands the officers be fired and prosecuted. The city stays silent.

On April 7, 2022, NYPD Officers Orkhan Mamedov and Evan Siegel drove a police van on Eastern Parkway during a non-emergency prisoner transfer. Surveillance and body camera footage, released by Attorney General Letitia James on December 19, 2022, shows the van speeding, running a red light, and striking Ronald Smith, a pedestrian. The van dragged Smith 35-40 feet. The matter summary states: 'Video shows cop speeding in NYPD van—and may have been watching a soccer game before fatal crash.' Smith’s sister, Julie Floyd, and Justice Committee director Yul-san Liem condemned the officers’ actions and inaction. Floyd called for their firing and prosecution, saying, 'These officers drove an NYPD van so fast and recklessly... they dragged my brother... and had no regard for my brother’s life.' The NYPD declined to comment or disclose the officers’ status. No safety analyst assessment was provided.

• Video Shows Cop Speeding in NYPD Van — And May Have Been Watching a Soccer Game Before Fatal Crash, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-12-19

Two e-bikes slam together on Troy Avenue at night. One rider, fifty, thrown hard. Head hits pavement. Blood spills. Lacerations deep. No helmet. No lights. Failure to yield. Silence under the streetlamps.

Two e-bikes collided at speed on Troy Avenue after dark. One rider, age 50, was ejected and struck his head on the pavement, suffering severe lacerations. According to the police report, 'No lights. No yield.' The crash was caused by 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The injured rider wore no helmet, as noted in the data, but the primary factor was the failure to yield. The report lists no other injuries. The street was quiet. The only witness was an occupant, unhurt. The scene was blood and silence under the lamps.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4576034 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A pickup tore down Eastern Parkway. The driver sped, distracted, unlicensed. He struck a 56-year-old man standing in the road. The truck crushed him. The man died on the street. The city fell silent around the wreck.

A 56-year-old pedestrian was killed on Eastern Parkway near Schenectady Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a pickup truck traveling at unsafe speed struck the man head-on as he stood mid-road. The driver was unlicensed and distracted. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The pickup’s center front end hit the pedestrian, causing fatal injuries to his entire body. No other injuries were specified for the occupants. The police report details the driver’s lack of license and failure to control speed or attention. The victim died at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4575837 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04