Five Dead, Four Hundred Hurt: Abreu, Don’t Wait—Fix the Streets Now

A Porsche veered on Henry Hudson Parkway. The driver, 66, slumped at the wheel. The car struck hard, metal folding in. He died, chest crushed, seatbelt on. No pedestrians or cyclists hurt. The road stayed hungry, the city silent.

A 66-year-old man driving a 2020 Porsche northbound on Henry Hudson Parkway lost consciousness behind the wheel. According to the police report, the car veered and struck hard at the right front. The driver was found belted in, chest crushed, and died at the scene. The contributing factor listed is 'Lost Consciousness.' No pedestrians, cyclists, or other vehicles were involved or injured. The police report details, 'A 66-year-old man slumped behind the wheel of a 2020 Porsche. The car veered, struck hard at the right front. He died belted in, chest crushed, eyes closed long before the metal buckled.' No other driver errors or contributing factors are listed in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4566438, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Jeep hit a man on Riverside Drive. The SUV kept going. The man’s head was crushed. He died alone under the streetlight. The driver did not stop. The street was quiet. The SUV showed no damage.

A northbound Jeep SUV struck a 47-year-old man at Riverside Drive and West 147th Street in Manhattan. The man suffered fatal head injuries and died at the scene. According to the police report, 'His head crushed beneath the bumper. No damage to the SUV. The driver did not stop.' The crash report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. The driver left the scene. The man was killed in the roadway, alone in the dark.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4561177, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council moved to put NYCHA sidewalks first in line for repairs. Seniors get top priority. Non-NYCHA emergencies still jump the queue. The bill died at session’s end. Broken walks remain. Vulnerable tenants wait. Streets stay rough. Danger lingers.

Int 0604-2022 was introduced on August 11, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill aimed to 'establish priority for sidewalk repairs at developments operated by the New York City Housing Authority,' giving first priority to senior-only NYCHA buildings, then to other NYCHA sites. Emergencies at non-NYCHA properties could override this order, with required notification to local officials. The bill required DOT to report on completed and pending NYCHA sidewalk repairs by June 30, 2023. Council Member Alexa Avilés sponsored the bill, joined by Abreu, Brooks-Powers, Restler, Hanif, Won, Nurse, Gutiérrez, and Sanchez. The measure was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, without enactment. Sidewalk hazards at NYCHA developments persist, leaving vulnerable residents exposed.

• File Int 0604-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-08-11

A motorscooter and motorcycle slammed head-on on Henry Hudson Parkway. The woman on the scooter died at the scene. She wore a helmet. The man on the motorcycle survived with leg injuries. Unsafe speed drove the crash. Metal and flesh scattered on the road.

A deadly crash unfolded on Henry Hudson Parkway. According to the police report, a 48-year-old unlicensed woman riding a motorscooter was struck head-on by a southbound motorcycle. She wore a helmet, but it did not save her. She was ejected and died from severe head wounds. The 26-year-old man on the motorcycle survived, suffering injuries to his lower leg and foot. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor in the collision. The motorscooter driver was unlicensed, but the report centers on speed as the primary cause. No pedestrians or bystanders were involved. The force of the impact left one dead and one injured, marking another violent night on New York City streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4553407, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Two riders met head-on in the dark. Metal clanged. One flew, struck the street, bled out. The other lay unconscious, head split open. No warning. No helmet. Just blood, broken frames, and silence under the streetlamp.

Two bicyclists collided head-on on Amsterdam Avenue near 108th Street. Both riders were ejected. One, age 43, died after striking his head. The other, age 29, suffered severe head injuries and was found unconscious, bleeding. According to the police report, 'Traffic Control Disregarded' contributed to the crash. Both riders were traveling straight, one northbound on an e-bike, the other southbound on a bike. The report notes neither wore a helmet, but only after citing the failure to obey traffic controls. The street ran silent after impact, marked by blood and shattered bikes.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4541988, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council pushed for bold school safety signs. Painted warnings and overhead alerts near every school entrance. The bill died in committee. Streets stay the same. Children still cross in danger. Drivers keep rolling through.

Int 0555-2022 was introduced on June 16, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill required the Department of Transportation to install painted and overhead safety signs on every street with a school entrance. The matter summary reads: 'to alert drivers to the presence of school-aged children and pedestrians.' Council Member Tiffany Cabán led as primary sponsor, joined by Rivera, Marte, Yeger, Sanchez, Won, Restler, Joseph, Gutiérrez, Ung, Louis, Abreu, and Hanif. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. No safety analyst note was provided. The measure stalled. No new protections for kids on city streets.

• File Int 0555-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-06-16

Council bill targets cars blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, and hydrants near schools. Civilians can report violators. Each offense draws a $175 fine. The city pays whistleblowers a cut. The bill stalled. Streets stay dangerous.

Int 0501-2022 was introduced to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 2, 2022. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to hazardous obstruction by vehicles and civilian complaints to the department of transportation for hazardous obstruction violations,' aimed to create a new civil penalty for vehicles blocking bike lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, or hydrants within 1,320 feet of a school. The penalty: $175 per violation, enforced through the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. Civilians, except city employees, could file complaints and receive 25% of collected fines. The Department of Transportation would support this with a phased-in reporting program and annual public reports. Council Member Carlina Rivera led as primary sponsor, joined by over two dozen co-sponsors. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023, and did not become law. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 0501-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-06-02

Council pushed a bill to force early walk signals at crossings near hospitals, schools, libraries, and senior centers. Four hundred intersections per year. The bill died in committee. No law. No change. Streets stay dangerous for the city’s most vulnerable.

Int 0479-2022 was introduced on June 2, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill aimed to require leading pedestrian interval signals at intersections next to hospitals, libraries, schools, and senior centers. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring leading pedestrian interval signals at intersections adjacent to hospitals, libraries, schools, and senior centers.' Council Member Lynn C. Schulman sponsored the bill, joined by Kagan, Hudson, Hanif, Abreu, Restler, Riley, and Sanchez. The bill would have forced the city to install these signals at no fewer than 400 intersections each year. The bill was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. No law passed. The city’s most vulnerable—kids, elders, patients—remain at risk at crossings meant to protect them.

• File Int 0479-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-06-02

Steel slammed steel at LaSalle and Broadway. Two sedans met. One turned left, one drove straight. Airbags burst. A young man’s arm split open. Blood pooled. Smoke drifted in Harlem’s morning. The street held the wound.

Two sedans collided at the corner of LaSalle Street and Broadway in Manhattan. According to the police report, a left-turning sedan struck a sedan traveling straight. The impact tore open the arm of a 28-year-old male driver, who was left conscious but bleeding with severe lacerations. Airbags deployed in both vehicles. The crash report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The data shows no helmet or signal violations. The crash underscores the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls at busy intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4533302, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

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

Council bill Int 0261-2022 would force the city to build curb extensions at deadly crossings. Five intersections per borough, every year. The aim: block cars from parking near crosswalks, boost pedestrian sightlines, and cut crashes where people walk.

Int 0261-2022 was introduced on April 28, 2022, in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring curb extensions at certain dangerous intersections,' was sponsored by Council Members Hanif (primary), Menin, Hudson, Stevens, Ayala, Abreu, Krishnan, Nurse, and Riley. The bill required the Department of Transportation to identify intersections with high pedestrian crash rates and install curb extensions—prohibiting parking within 15 feet of crosswalks—at a minimum of five such intersections in each borough per year. The measure was filed at the end of session on December 31, 2023. Curb extensions are designed to increase pedestrian visibility and reduce deadly conflicts at crossings, directly targeting systemic dangers faced by people on foot.

• File Int 0261-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-04-28