Jul 18 - Cargo van struck Mayya Gil, 95, as she crossed Cropsey Avenue. She died. Her aide survived. Driver charged with failure to yield and due care. The street stayed open. The danger stayed real.

Gothamist (2025-07-18) reports a 95-year-old woman, Mayya Gil, died after a cargo van hit her and her home health aide while they crossed Cropsey Avenue in Brooklyn. The driver, Thimothe Andre, was charged with two counts of failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. Police said Andre struck both victims while turning. Gil died at the hospital; her aide survived. The article notes, 'NYPD data shows 100 people have died in city traffic crashes so far this year.' The case highlights persistent risks for pedestrians and the consequences of driver inattention at city intersections.

• Brooklyn Pedestrian Killed Crossing Cropsey Avenue, Gothamist, Published 2025-07-18

Jul 15 - A car spun out in a Brooklyn lot. The driver lost control. Madisyn Ruiz, 21, died. Two boys hurt. Tire marks linger. The driver faces charges. The family mourns. The system failed to protect.

According to NY Daily News (2025-07-15), Madisyn Ruiz, 21, was killed when her boyfriend, Zachary Cando, lost control of a 2023 Genesis G80 while 'doing donuts' in the Gateway Center parking lot. Ruiz was sitting by the curb when struck. Two nephews, ages 12 and 17, were also injured. Cando told police he 'lost control' during the stunt. He was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, and reckless driving. The article notes, 'Days later, circular tire tracks were still visible in the parking lot.' This crash highlights the dangers of reckless driving in public spaces and raises questions about parking lot safety and enforcement.

• Driver Doing Donuts Kills Girlfriend, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-15

Jul 11 - A BMW tore through a Brooklyn crosswalk before dawn. Two pedestrians, Kex Un Chen and Faqui Lin, died on impact. Their bodies thrown to the sidewalk. The driver fled. Police arrested him hours later.

CBS New York (2025-07-11) reports two pedestrians, Kex Un Chen, 80, and Faqui Lin, 59, were killed at Third Avenue and 52nd Street in Sunset Park. Surveillance video shows a BMW speeding through the crosswalk while the victims had the right of way. The driver, Juventino Anastasio Florentino, 23, was arrested and faces charges including manslaughter, reckless driving, and leaving the scene. Councilmember Alexa Aviles called for 'serious investments in safety enhancements' on Third Avenue. Residents say crashes are common on this stretch, highlighting ongoing systemic danger.

• Two Killed In Sunset Park Crosswalk, CBS New York, Published 2025-07-11

Jul 9 - A judge let the city shift Bedford Ave’s bike lane. The fight pits safety for walkers against safety for cyclists. Cars, bikes, and people cross paths. Danger remains. The city moves ahead.

NY Daily News (2025-07-09) reports Judge Carolyn Walker-Diallo lifted a restraining order, letting NYC move a protected bike lane on Bedford Ave, Brooklyn. The city cited pedestrian risk from fast bikes and e-bikes, showing videos of children struck while crossing. Opponents argued removing the protected lane exposes cyclists to cars and claimed the city gave poor notice. The article quotes a resident: 'irreparable harm would come to neighborhood residents if the lane were no longer protected by parked cars.' The ruling highlights ongoing tension between street design, driver behavior, and vulnerable road users.

• Judge Clears Bedford Ave Bike Lane Move, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-09

Jul 8 - A moped hit a 90-year-old man at Avenue U and E 14 St. The impact left him unconscious, bleeding from the head. Brooklyn pavement ran red. No driver errors listed. The city failed to protect him.

A 90-year-old pedestrian suffered a head injury and severe bleeding after a moped struck him at Avenue U and E 14 St in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the man was found unconscious at the intersection. The moped’s center front end took the impact. No specific driver errors were listed in the report; contributing factors are marked as 'Unspecified.' The crash highlights the vulnerability of pedestrians at city intersections, especially the elderly. No helmet or signal use was noted as a factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4826233 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Jun 30 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned, derelict cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. No plates, no stickers, no excuses. Police and sanitation must act. Safer crossings for all who walk, ride, or wait.

Bill Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and full Council on June 30, 2025. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation," requires the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours of report. The NYPD must tow cars lacking valid plates or stickers. Prime sponsor Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led, joined by Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, Lincoln Restler, and others. The law targets street hazards, clearing blocked sightlines and crosswalks. It aims to cut risks for pedestrians and cyclists by removing abandoned vehicles fast.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-06-30

Jun 29 - An SUV struck and killed eight-year-old Mordica Keller as he crossed Eastern Parkway with his sister. The driver stayed. Blood stained the concrete. The boy died at Kings County Hospital. The street claimed another child.

According to the New York Post (2025-06-29), eight-year-old Mordica Keller was killed by a black Honda Pilot while crossing Eastern Parkway at Albany Street with his sister. The 69-year-old driver, heading south, remained at the scene. Police said, "They were walking, he was crossing the street with his sister." The driver had a green light, and no arrest has been made. The incident highlights persistent dangers for pedestrians at busy intersections. The investigation continues.

• SUV Kills Boy Crossing Crown Heights Street, New York Post, Published 2025-06-29

Jun 24 - A teen on a moped slammed into a turning car in Midwood. He flew off, struck hard, died at the hospital. His passenger survived, hurt. The driver stayed. No arrests. Another moped rider died days before. Streets remain deadly.

NY Daily News (2025-06-24) reports a 17-year-old died after his moped collided with a Genesis G80 driven by a 71-year-old man making a left turn on East 8th St. in Brooklyn. Police said the moped 'slammed into' the car, then hit a parked Honda Odyssey. Both the teen and his passenger suffered trauma; the teen died at Maimonides Medical Center. The car driver remained at the scene. No arrests were made, and the NYPD Highway District Collision Squad is investigating. The article also notes a separate fatal moped crash days earlier involving a drunk, unlicensed driver. These incidents highlight persistent risks for vulnerable road users and ongoing gaps in street safety.

• Teen Killed, Man Critical In Brooklyn Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-06-24

Jun 22 - A moped rider died in Bay Ridge. A driver, drunk and unlicensed, struck him at dawn. The crash left another man broken. The street ran red. The city counts its dead. The system failed to keep danger off the road.

Gothamist (2025-06-22) reports a fatal crash at Third Avenue and 67th Street in Brooklyn. Police say Leslie Moreno, 29, drove intoxicated and without a license when her Acura collided with a moped carrying two men. Joel Mota, 22, died from head and torso injuries. His passenger suffered multiple fractures. Moreno was arrested and hospitalized in stable condition. The article notes, 'Moreno was driving west on 67th Street while Mota was driving south on Third Avenue, and he hit her passenger-side door.' NYPD data shows 13 motorized two-wheeler deaths citywide so far this year. The crash highlights persistent risks from unlicensed, impaired drivers and the vulnerability of riders on city streets.

• Unlicensed Drunk Driver Kills Moped Rider, Gothamist, Published 2025-06-22

Jun 20 - A Brooklyn political boss fights a judge’s order to keep the Bedford Avenue bike lane. Crash and injury numbers fell after the redesign. The city faces pressure to defend protections for cyclists. The battle exposes the city’s fractured safety priorities.

Streetsblog NYC reported on June 20, 2025, that Frank Seddio, a Brooklyn Democratic leader and Board of Elections commissioner, is appealing a court order that blocks the city from removing part of the Bedford Avenue bike lane. Seddio claims the lane will only shift location and disputes the safety benefits, arguing, 'The bike lane will still exist, but merely shift to an alternative location in the road.' He also questions crash data, citing seasonal differences: 'The change in accident and injury rates is better explained by seasonal weather patterns.' Streetsblog notes that after the redesign, crashes dropped by 18–19% and injuries by 25–26%. The case highlights ongoing tension between local political power, city notification procedures, and efforts to protect cyclists and pedestrians through street design.

• Brooklyn Power Broker Fights Bike Lane Ruling, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-20

Jun 18 - A judge stopped the city from tearing out three blocks of protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue. The order holds until August. Cyclists and pedestrians keep their shield, for now. The city’s plan waits in limbo.

NY1 reported on June 18, 2025, that a judge issued a temporary restraining order against the Adams administration’s plan to remove three blocks of protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn. The city had announced the removal would happen by the end of June. The order blocks any changes until a court hearing on August 6. According to NY1, the restraining order 'prevents the city from altering three blocks of a protected lane along Bedford Avenue, on the border of Bedford-Stuyvesant and South Williamsburg.' The case highlights the tension between city policy and street safety for vulnerable road users. No driver actions are cited, but the move would have reduced protection for cyclists and pedestrians.

• Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal, NY1, Published 2025-06-18

Jun 15 - Metal tore metal on Coney Island Avenue. Three vehicles smashed. Passengers ejected, faces cut, bodies broken. Alcohol played its part. Sirens cut the night. Blood on the street. The city kept moving. The wounded waited for help.

A violent crash erupted at Coney Island Avenue and Avenue U in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a sedan, a pick-up truck, and several SUVs collided. Alcohol involvement was listed as a contributing factor. Fourteen people were involved. At least seven were injured, including passengers who suffered severe lacerations, fractures, and one who was ejected and left unconscious. Drivers and passengers reported pain, bleeding, and broken bones. The report states, 'Alcohol Involvement' as a cause. No mention of helmet or signal use as a factor. The impact left bodies battered and the street scarred. The crash shows again how alcohol and speed turn steel into shrapnel, and people into casualties.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4820416 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Jun 15 - Steel slammed steel in Brooklyn before dawn. A Chevy hit a Volvo, then a police car. Four people hurt. Two were NYPD. The driver of the Chevy was arrested. Sirens silent. Lights flashing. Streets left scarred.

ABC7 reported on June 15, 2025, that a three-car crash at Avenue U and Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn injured four people, including two NYPD officers. The article states, “Police say a 25-year-old man was traveling north on Coney Island Avenue in a Chevrolet Suburban when he collided with the driver of a Volvo traveling west on Avenue U.” The impact pushed the Chevy into a marked police car, which had its lights on but no sirens. The 25-year-old Chevy driver was arrested at the scene. Both his passengers and two officers were hospitalized in stable condition. No injuries were reported in the Volvo. The incident highlights the dangers at busy intersections and the risks faced by all road users, including police. Authorities continue to investigate the cause.

• Brooklyn Three-Car Crash Injures Four, ABC7, Published 2025-06-15

Jun 11 - Parents in Greenpoint want cars out. A cyclist died at Monitor and Driggs. Children walk and bike to PS 110. The street stays dangerous. The city has not acted. Families wait. The threat of cars remains.

Streetsblog NYC reported on June 11, 2025, that parents at Public School 110 in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are calling for a Paris-style school street to protect children. Their plan would turn Monitor Street into a cul-de-sac with a pedestrian plaza, add mid-block crossings, and close a slip lane to block cut-through traffic from the BQE. The push follows a fatal crash at Monitor and Driggs, where a driver killed 73-year-old cyclist Teddy Orzechowski. Streetsblog notes, 'Streets outside schools have higher crash and injury rates than the city average.' Most PS 110 families walk or bike, but the city has not responded to the proposal. The article highlights the persistent risk from drivers using local streets as shortcuts.

• Brooklyn Parents Demand Safer School Streets, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-06-11

Jun 4 - SUV struck parked sedan in Brooklyn. Driver suffered severe head lacerations. Police cite alcohol involvement. Streets remain hostile for all.

An SUV crashed into a parked sedan at 290 West End Avenue in Brooklyn. The SUV driver, a 42-year-old man, suffered severe head lacerations and was incoherent at the scene. According to the police report, alcohol involvement contributed to the crash. The sedan was unoccupied. No other injuries were reported. The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor. No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4817800 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

May 26 - A firetruck and motorcycle met at Avenue U and Flatbush. Sirens screamed. Metal struck metal. The rider fell. Medics rushed him to Brookdale. He died. The driver stayed. Police circled the scene. The city’s streets claimed another life.

According to NY Daily News (published May 26, 2025), a 30-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with an FDNY truck at Avenue U and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn late Sunday night. The article states, “The fire truck had its lights and sirens blaring, cops said.” The victim was traveling west on Avenue U; the firetruck was heading south on Flatbush. The FDNY driver, age 49, remained at the scene. Police are investigating. No names have been released. The crash highlights the dangers at busy intersections, even when emergency vehicles use lights and sirens. The incident underscores the risks faced by all road users in New York City’s complex traffic environment.

• Motorcyclist Dies in FDNY Truck Collision, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-26

May 25 - A pregnant woman stood in the street after a fender bender. The other driver hit her, dragged her, then sped off. She died at the scene. The driver fled on foot. Family waits for answers. The street holds the silence.

ABC7 reported on May 25, 2025, that a 32-year-old pregnant woman was killed in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, after a traffic incident at Van Buren Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard. The article states, "Authorities say a female driver slammed into the victim as she stood in the roadway after a traffic incident." The victim, Tiffany Cifuni, had exited her SUV following a minor collision and approached the other vehicle. The driver then accelerated, dragging Cifuni and driving the wrong way before striking parked cars and fleeing on foot. The crash highlights the dangers of post-collision interactions and reckless driving. Police continue to search for the suspect.

• Pregnant Woman Killed In Brooklyn Crash, ABC7, Published 2025-05-25

May 21 - Council Member Inna Vernikov forced DOT to pause bike lanes in Sheepshead Bay. Years of planning stalled. Cyclists and pedestrians left exposed. Community support ignored. Streets stay hostile. Safety delayed. Danger remains.

On May 21, 2025, Council Member Inna Vernikov intervened to halt the NYC Department of Transportation's plan for painted bike lanes in Southern Brooklyn's Community Board 14. The project, four years in the making, aimed to address high crash rates and poor bike network coverage. Vernikov announced, 'Happy to say as a result of our conversations and advocacy, @NYC_DOT is PAUSING implementation of bike lanes.' Despite near-unanimous community board support and DOT's safety pledges, Vernikov opposed the project, calling it a 'woke agenda.' Only a portion of the lanes will proceed. Safety analysts warn: 'Opposition to even basic bike infrastructure like painted lanes discourages mode shift, reduces safety in numbers, and maintains street conditions that are inequitable and dangerous for vulnerable road users.' Vulnerable New Yorkers pay the price.

• Proudly Anti-Safety: Brooklyn Pol Boasts of Getting DOT To ‘Pause’ Long Promised Bike Lanes, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-21

May 16 - A car struck Maurette Lafleur in the crosswalk. She had the signal. The driver sped through. Bones broke. She died on Rutland Road. The street stayed loud. Witnesses watched. The city’s crackdown missed the real threat.

Streetsblog NYC reported on May 16, 2025, that a 68-year-old woman, Maurette Lafleur, was killed by a driver while crossing Rutland Road at E. 95th Street in East Flatbush. Lafleur was in the crosswalk with the walk signal when the driver of a 2025 Mercedes Benz GLC 300 struck her. A witness told Streetsblog, "The lady spin around and sped through," and described hearing the impact. The article notes that police have not released the driver's name. The incident occurred as NYPD focused enforcement on electric bikes, while drivers continue to cause deadly harm. The tragedy highlights the ongoing danger to pedestrians and raises questions about city policy and street design.

• Driver Kills Senior In East Flatbush, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-16

May 15 - A car struck Larry Maxwell, 72, on Sutter Avenue. The driver had just crashed into another vehicle and fled. Maxwell died at Brookdale Hospital. The driver did not stop. Police are still searching. No arrests. The street stayed quiet.

NY Daily News reported on May 15, 2025, that Larry Maxwell, 72, was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The article states, “An elderly man was mowed down and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brooklyn on May 10, just seconds after the same driver smashed into a nearby vehicle.” The driver first collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu, then continued on and struck Maxwell near Sutter Ave. and Osborn St. The Malibu’s occupants were uninjured and remained at the scene. The driver who killed Maxwell fled and remains unidentified. The NYPD Highway District collision investigation squad is investigating. No arrests have been made. The case highlights the lethal risk of fleeing drivers and the ongoing challenge of enforcement.

• Hit-And-Run Driver Kills Brooklyn Elder, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-15