Crash Count for District 37
Crashes: Collisions involving cars, bikes, and pedestrians. 8,499
All Injuries: Any injury from a reported crash. 4,582
Moderate: Broken bones, concussions, and other serious injuries. 938
Serious: Life-altering injuries: amputations, paralysis, severe trauma. 66
Deaths: Lives lost to traffic violence. 15
Data from Jan 1, 2022 to Sep 15, 2025
Carnage in CD 37
Killed 13
+1
Crush Injuries 11
Whole body 5
Head 3
Chest 2
Lower arm/hand 1
Neck 1
Amputation 2
Lower arm/hand 1
Lower leg/foot 1
Severe Bleeding 14
Head 8
+3
Face 2
Lower leg/foot 2
Chest 1
Whole body 1
Severe Lacerations 31
Head 11
+6
Lower leg/foot 7
+2
Whole body 4
Face 3
Lower arm/hand 3
Hip/upper leg 2
Eye 1
Neck 1
Concussion 22
Head 12
+7
Neck 4
Lower leg/foot 2
Whole body 2
Back 1
Hip/upper leg 1
Lower arm/hand 1
Whiplash 156
Neck 63
+58
Back 42
+37
Head 32
+27
Whole body 18
+13
Shoulder/upper arm 7
+2
Lower leg/foot 5
Hip/upper leg 3
Lower arm/hand 2
Abdomen/pelvis 1
Chest 1
Face 1
Contusion/Bruise 170
Lower leg/foot 68
+63
Head 30
+25
Lower arm/hand 18
+13
Shoulder/upper arm 18
+13
Hip/upper leg 11
+6
Back 10
+5
Face 7
+2
Whole body 5
Neck 4
Abdomen/pelvis 3
Chest 1
Abrasion 159
Lower leg/foot 59
+54
Lower arm/hand 31
+26
Head 18
+13
Face 13
+8
Whole body 11
+6
Shoulder/upper arm 10
+5
Back 6
+1
Hip/upper leg 6
+1
Abdomen/pelvis 5
Eye 4
Neck 3
Pain/Nausea 86
Back 17
+12
Whole body 17
+12
Lower leg/foot 14
+9
Head 12
+7
Shoulder/upper arm 12
+7
Hip/upper leg 7
+2
Neck 6
+1
Lower arm/hand 4
Abdomen/pelvis 3
Chest 2
Data from Jan 1, 2022 to Sep 15, 2025

Who’s Injuring and Killing Pedestrians in District 37?

Preventable Speeding in CD 37 School Zones

(since 2022)
Atlantic and Elton: two lives gone on a road we already knew was deadly

Atlantic and Elton: two lives gone on a road we already knew was deadly

District 37: Jan 1, 2022 - Sep 6, 2025

Just after 8 PM on Sep 1, at Atlantic Avenue and Elton Street, a man and a woman on a motorcycle were ejected and died after colliding with an SUV making a left turn (NYC Open Data; ABC7).

They were two of 13 people killed on District 37 streets since Jan 1, 2022 (NYC Open Data).

This Week

  • Sep 1: Two people on a Harley‑Davidson were killed in a collision with a left‑turning SUV at Atlantic Ave and Elton St (NYC Open Data; ABC7).
  • Aug 19: Two SUVs collided; a teen rear passenger was injured (timeline).
  • Aug 15: Left‑turn sedan hit two motorcycle riders (timeline).
  • Jul 27: Moped rider was killed on Jamaica Avenue (timeline).

Speed and steel do not forgive after dark

Crashes do not slow in this district. Year to date: 1,345 crashes, up 15.7% from last year’s 1,162. Deaths climbed from 3 to 5; serious injuries from 10 to 18 (NYC Open Data). The hours when families head home are the worst. Deaths stack up in the evening, including 6 PM through 10 PM in the district’s hourly record (NYC Open Data).

Atlantic Avenue is a known wound. In this period it saw 1 death and 253 injuries tied to crashes in District 37. Central Avenue saw 2 deaths and 47 injuries (NYC Open Data).

Drivers making lefts and rights keep hitting people. Police records show recurring driver failures: failure to yield and disregarding signals appear again and again in the district’s severe crashes (NYC Open Data).

The biggest machines do the deepest harm

Pedestrians in District 37 are most often hit by drivers in sedans and SUVs, but trucks and buses are deadlier: they are tied to 2 pedestrian deaths and 6 serious injuries in the current tally (NYC Open Data). A bus driver hit a pedestrian on Van Sinderen Avenue near Herkimer Street this spring; police cited driver distraction (NYC Open Data).

At Broadway and Somers, a turning bus driver left a man on a bike with severe head bleeding in July (NYC Open Data).

We know what clears the view

Daylighting removes parked cars at corners so people can see and be seen. Council Member Sandy Nurse backs a citywide push to require it: “Universal daylighting is a proven, effective way to make our streets safer for pedestrians, bikers and drivers” (City & State NY). Nurse also co‑sponsors Intro 1138, which would ban standing or parking within 20 feet of crosswalks and force 1,000 hardened daylighting installs per year (NYC Council – Legistar).

On abandoned hulks that block sightlines and crosswalks, the Council voted to make removal faster; Nurse voted yes (NYC Council – Legistar).

District pattern, city fixes

Here the bodies are pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders, passengers, and drivers. The pattern repeats on Bushwick Avenue, Central Avenue, Crescent Street, Hale Avenue, and up and down Atlantic. Evenings cut the deepest. Heavy vehicles add fatal force. It does not stop on its own.

Two citywide moves would help now:

  • Lower the default speed limit on residential streets. Slower speeds cut deaths. New Yorkers have already organized for it; the mechanism exists. Start with a citywide 20 MPH default and build from there (CrashCount: Take Action).
  • Stop repeat speeders with in‑car limiters for the worst offenders. Require intelligent speed assistance for drivers who rack up camera or point violations, as outlined in the Stop Super Speeders push (CrashCount: Take Action).

Accountability

The two people who died at Atlantic and Elton cannot be brought back. The fixes are known. Use them. Act now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened at Atlantic Avenue and Elton Street?
On Sep 1, 2025, just after 8 PM, a motorcycle and an SUV collided at Atlantic Avenue and Elton Street. The driver and passenger on the motorcycle were ejected and died. Police records list the SUV as making a left turn. Source: NYC Open Data crash record and ABC7 coverage.
How many people have been killed on District 37 streets since 2022?
Thirteen people have been killed between Jan 1, 2022 and Sep 6, 2025, according to District 37 rollups in the provided dataset.
Where are the worst spots?
Atlantic Avenue shows the largest injury burden in the period, with one death and 253 injuries tied to crashes in District 37. Central Avenue shows two deaths and 47 injuries. Source: NYC Open Data crash data for the district period.
When are crashes most deadly here?
Evenings. The district’s hourly distribution shows deaths occurring during 6–10 PM, among other hours. Source: NYC Open Data hourly distribution in the provided analysis.
How were these numbers calculated?
We used NYC Open Data’s Motor Vehicle Collisions datasets (Crashes h9gi-nx95, Persons f55k-p6yu, Vehicles bm4k-52h4), filtered to Council District 37 for 2022-01-01 through 2025-09-06. We counted total crashes, fatalities, injuries, serious injuries, top locations, hourly distributions, and pedestrian injury by vehicle type. Data was accessed Sep 6, 2025. You can view the base dataset here.
What is CrashCount?
We’re a tool for helping hold local politicians and other actors accountable for their failure to protect you when you’re walking or cycling in NYC. We update our site constantly to provide you with up to date information on what’s happening in your neighborhood.

Citations

Citations

Fix the Problem

Council Member Sandy Nurse

District 37

Other Representatives

Assembly Member Maritza Davila

District 53

State Senator Julia Salazar

District 18

Other Geographies

District 37 Council District 37 sits in Queens, Precinct 104, AD 53, SD 18.

It contains Bushwick (West), Bushwick (East), The Evergreens Cemetery, Cypress Hills, East New York (North), Highland Park-Cypress Hills Cemeteries (South), Ocean Hill, Brooklyn CB4, Brooklyn CB5.

See also
State_assembly_districts
State Senate Districts

Traffic Safety Timeline for Council District 37

12
Parked Sedan Crash Kills Driver on Powell Street

Apr 12 - A 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.

A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19
22
Nurse Opposes Sanitation Cuts Warns of Safety Hazards

Mar 22 - Garbage piles choke New York sidewalks. Rats swarm. Pedestrians dodge filth. Council Member Sandy Nurse and Borough President Antonio Reynoso push for organics recycling and fair funding. City agencies stall. Mayor Adams sends mixed signals. Streets stay dangerous for those on foot.

On March 22, 2022, the New York City Council’s Sanitation Committee debated the city’s trash crisis. The hearing, covered by Streetsblog NYC, spotlighted Council Member Sandy Nurse and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. Nurse demanded full funding for sanitation, calling the crisis 'unprecedented.' Reynoso urged immediate action on 'save-as-you-throw' and mandatory organics recycling, saying, 'We have full authority to implement both.' The matter title reads: 'TRASH CITY: Here’s Why New York is So Filthy.' The committee reviewed stalled pilot programs and budget cuts. Nurse stressed the need for equitable services and investment in public transit and clean streets. The debate exposed political inertia and underfunding, leaving sidewalks hazardous for pedestrians and failing neighborhoods most at risk.


20
E-Bike Rider Injured Swerving on Evergreen

Feb 20 - A 21-year-old e-bike rider crashed on Evergreen Avenue near Linden Street. He swerved, lost control, and hit the ground. His leg tore open. Blood pooled on cold asphalt. He screamed, conscious, pain sharp in the winter dusk.

A 21-year-old man riding an e-bike on Evergreen Avenue near Linden Street in Brooklyn was injured after swerving and crashing. According to the police report, 'Evergreen Avenue near Linden Street — A 21-year-old man on an e-bike swerved to avoid nothing, hit the ground hard. No helmet. Torn leg. Blood on the asphalt. He screamed, awake and hurting, as the cold February dusk closed in.' The report lists 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' as a contributing factor. The rider was partially ejected and suffered severe lacerations to his leg. No other vehicles or people were reported injured. The police noted the absence of a helmet, but only after the contributing factor of reaction to an uninvolved vehicle.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4504339 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19
15
Unconscious Driver Slams Nissan Into Parked Car

Feb 15 - A Nissan surged down Bleecker Street. The driver, sixty-eight, slumped over, unconscious. The car smashed a parked Toyota. Metal tore. Blood spilled. Sirens wailed. The driver suffered a severe head wound. Two others in the crash were listed but not hurt.

A 68-year-old man driving a Nissan lost consciousness on Bleecker Street near Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A 68-year-old man slumped at the wheel. His Nissan surged forward, unconscious hands on the wheel. It struck a parked Toyota. Metal screamed. His head split. Blood pooled.' The driver suffered a severe head injury and was found unconscious, bleeding heavily. Two other occupants were listed but did not sustain specified injuries. The police report lists 'Illnes' as a contributing factor. No other driver errors or contributing factors were noted in the data. The driver was wearing a lap belt and harness at the time of the crash.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4506186 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19