Blood on the Corners, Silence in City Hall

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.

• File Int 0329-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-05-05

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

A car struck a 70-year-old man near East 94th Street. His leg was crushed. Blood pooled on the pavement. He stayed awake. The street was silent. The morning light caught the broken scene. The city moved on.

A 70-year-old man was hit by a vehicle near 638 East 94th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the man was walking against traffic when the car struck him, crushing his leg. He remained conscious as blood pooled on the pavement. The report does not list any specific driver errors or contributing factors. No helmet or signal use is mentioned. The crash left the man injured and the street silent in the late morning. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4509929, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Cadillac sedan struck a 62-year-old woman as she crossed Pennsylvania Avenue at 1 a.m. The car’s left front bumper crushed her skull. She died on the street. The driver, unlicensed and from Virginia, kept going straight. She never stood a chance.

A 62-year-old woman was killed while crossing Pennsylvania Avenue near Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn at 1 a.m. According to the police report, a southbound 2007 Cadillac sedan struck her head with its left front bumper, causing fatal crush injuries. The driver, a 23-year-old man from Virginia, was unlicensed. The report states, 'She died there, skull crushed.' No contributing factors were specified in the data, but the driver’s lack of a license is documented. The woman was not at an intersection and was crossing without a signal or crosswalk. The crash highlights the lethal risk posed by unlicensed drivers and the vulnerability of pedestrians on wide Brooklyn streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4508529, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan tore down Ditmas Avenue. It hit parked trucks. A woman, 29, sat up front. She died from head wounds. The driver had no license. The street was quiet. The crash left silence and loss.

A deadly crash unfolded on Ditmas Avenue near Branton Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a speeding sedan struck parked trucks. The front passenger, a 29-year-old woman, died from head injuries. She wore her seat belt. The driver, a 33-year-old man, suffered arm injuries and was unlicensed. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The sedan hit the trucks with force, crushing metal and lives. The parked vehicles—a trailer and a bus—were empty. The crash left one dead, one injured, and a street marked by loss.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4504805, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Chevy turned left on Pitkin Avenue. An 8-year-old boy crossed with the light. The bumper smashed his knee and foot. Blood pooled on the street. The child stayed awake. The driver was distracted and failed to yield.

An 8-year-old boy was struck and badly injured by a Chevy sedan making a left turn on Pitkin Avenue. According to the police report, the child was crossing with the signal when the car’s left front bumper hit his leg, crushing his knee and foot. The boy remained conscious as he bled on the street. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver, licensed in New Jersey, was not reported injured. The data does not mention any helmet or signal use as a factor. The crash left a child hurt and exposed, the driver’s inattention and failure to yield at the center.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4498867, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15