District 7: Five Dead, No More Excuses

May 26 - A flatbed truck turned right. A woman on a bike rode straight. Steel struck bone. She flew, then fell. Her leg crushed beneath the weight. Shock took her. The truck rolled on, untouched.

A flatbed truck struck a 53-year-old woman riding her bike at the corner of West 110th Street and Columbus Avenue in Manhattan. According to the police report, the truck turned right while the cyclist continued straight. The impact ejected her from the bike, crushing her leg and leaving her in shock. The police report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' as a contributing factor. No other driver errors were cited. The cyclist suffered serious injuries to her lower leg and foot. No mention of helmet use or signaling was made in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4634122 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

May 24 - Council backs home rule for Sammy’s Law. The move lets New York City set speed limits below 25 mph. Lawmakers and advocates say lower speeds mean fewer deaths. The bill honors Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a reckless driver. The vote puts safety first.

Bill: Home rule message for Sammy’s Law. Status: Poised for passage by the City Council on May 24, 2023. Committee: State and Federal Legislation, chaired by Council Member Shaun Abreu. The measure, titled 'City Council Poised to Pass ‘Home Rule’ Message for Sammy’s Law on Thursday,' lets New York City lower speed limits below 25 mph. Council Member Jen Gutierrez announced the Council’s intent to pass it, calling it crucial for safety. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, 'The city's ability to control the speed limits on its streets plays a crucial role in delivering traffic safety.' Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Mayor Eric Adams, and State Senator Andrew Gounardes all support the move. The bill honors Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a reckless driver. Data cited shows lower speed limits increase pedestrian survival. Advocates stress urgency to protect New Yorkers.

• City Council Poised to Pass ‘Home Rule’ Message for Sammy’s Law on Thursday, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-24

May 8 - Sanitation wants to box up trash. That means tearing up 150,000 parking spots. The city will spend big. Car owners howl. Advocates call it bold. A pilot starts in Manhattan. Council Member Abreu backs it. Change comes slow, but the city may never look the same.

On May 8, 2023, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) released a sweeping proposal to containerize New York City’s sidewalk trash. The plan, not yet a formal bill, launches with a pilot in Manhattan’s Community Board 9, supported by Council Member Shaun Abreu, who declared, “We’re going to start containerizing our trash.” The DSNY report claims containerization could work in 89% of the city but demands a major overhaul: 150,000 curbside parking spots repurposed, hundreds of millions spent on new trucks and bins. The matter summary notes, 'New York City can containerize its sidewalk garbage, but doing so will require a major overhaul of the sanitation system.' Advocates like Christine Berthet call it transformative; others, like car owners, bristle at lost parking. The plan faces political headwinds, but if realized, it could mark a historic shift for city streets.

• ANALYSIS: Waste Containerization Will Be Big Lift, But Could Be Historic Change for Trash City, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-08

May 6 - A 25-year-old man on an e-bike crashed into a parked SUV on Convent Avenue. He struck metal at speed. He hit the pavement and died. Unsafe speed marked the crash. The Harlem street fell silent. The loss was final.

A 25-year-old man riding an e-bike died after colliding with a parked SUV near Convent Avenue and West 131st Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, 'A 25-year-old man on an e-bike, no helmet, struck a parked SUV at speed. The bike hit metal. He hit pavement. He died there, alone, in the Harlem morning.' The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The SUV was parked and unoccupied at the time of the crash. No other injuries were reported. The police narrative notes the rider was not wearing a helmet, but the primary cause cited was unsafe speed. The crash left a Harlem block marked by sudden loss.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4627295 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

May 3 - New York City will cut 150,000 free parking spots for trash containers. The pilot starts in West Harlem this fall. The plan clears sidewalks, targets rats, and reclaims space for people. Council member Abreu and advocates back the move. Change is coming.

The Department of Sanitation announced a pilot to eliminate 150,000 free residential parking spaces for trash containerization. The program, starting fall 2023 in West Harlem, covers up to 10 residential blocks and 14 public schools. The DSNY report, with McKinsey input, finds containerization viable for most neighborhoods. The matter aims to 'remove garbage bags from sidewalks' and address public health. Council member Shaun Abreu supports the initiative, calling current practices 'backwards' and endorsing large-scale containerization. Advocates like CHEKPEDS founder Christine Berthet support repurposing parking for trash containers, citing sidewalk access. The city will double trash collection in the pilot area, with $5.7 million allocated. The plan faces challenges in dense areas, but signals a shift toward safer, cleaner streets for all.

• Sanitation: Trash Containerization Can Be Done With a Historic Reuse of Parking; Pilot to Start This Fall, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-03

Mar 27 - A man, 28, died inside a parked SUV on West 121st Street. The back end was crushed. No seatbelt. No witnesses. Only silence and the wind. Life ended in a steel cage, the city moving on around him.

A 28-year-old man was found dead in a parked SUV near 425 West 121st Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, the SUV's back end was crushed. The man was discovered lifeless, with no seatbelt, and no other injuries specified. The vehicle, a 2022 Hyundai SUV registered in New Jersey, was parked at the time. The report does not list any contributing driver errors or outside factors. No other people were reported injured. The police report notes: 'A man, 28, found lifeless in a parked SUV. No seatbelt. The back end crushed.' The cause of the crash and the events leading up to the impact remain unlisted in the official data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4616027 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Jan 22 - Steel tore open at West 165th and Broadway. Taxi and BMW slammed head-on. A young man in the back seat bled through his clothes. Three passengers hurt. The street stayed dark. No driver errors listed. The city did not stop.

A taxi and a BMW collided head-on at the corner of West 165th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Three passengers were injured. According to the police report, 'A taxi and a BMW collided head-on. Steel crumpled. A 21-year-old man in the back seat, no belt, bled through his clothes. He stayed conscious. The dark stayed quiet.' The injured included a 21-year-old male passenger with severe bleeding. The police report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. No helmet or signal issues were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4601666 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Dec 28 - A Ford pickup swung a U-turn on Broadway. Its front bumper struck a 73-year-old man crossing. He fell, crushed and unconscious. The truck kept moving south. The street held him in silence. The man’s body was broken. The city did not stop.

A Ford pickup truck made a U-turn at Broadway and West 100th Street in Manhattan. The truck’s front bumper struck a 73-year-old man crossing the intersection. According to the police report, the pedestrian suffered crush injuries to his entire body and was left unconscious. The report states, “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way” as the contributing factor. The driver, a 22-year-old man, was licensed and traveling south. The impact left the pedestrian broken and silent in the street. No helmet or signal issues were listed. The crash highlights the deadly risk when drivers fail to yield to people on foot.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4594316 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Sep 21 - 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 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Sep 4 - 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 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Aug 6 - 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 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Jun 30 - 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 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17

Jun 1 - 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 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-17