Two Dead. Sixteen Gone. How Many More Before NYC Streets Change?

Dec 23 - A police car crossed the line. Metal struck flesh. Samuel Williams, riding his dirt bike, was thrown and killed. Body cam footage shows the officer’s move. Another NYPD car tried the same. The city sent Williams’ family a bill.

NY Daily News (2024-12-23) reports that NYPD body camera footage shows an officer veering into the path of Samuel Williams, a 36-year-old dirt bike rider, during a pursuit on the University Heights Bridge. Williams was struck, thrown, and died from his injuries. The article states, “An officer pursuing dirt bikers suddenly crossed the double yellow line into Williams' path, causing a collision.” Another NYPD vehicle attempted a similar maneuver. The family’s attorney called it a “deadly maneuver” for a minor violation. The city later billed Williams’ family for police vehicle damages. The NYPD has not commented, citing litigation. The case raises questions about police pursuit tactics and accountability.

• NYPD Officer Veers Into Dirt Biker’s Path, NY Daily News, Published 2024-12-23

Dec 11 - A 2015 Audi SUV lay crushed on the southbound Major Deegan. Inside, a 40-year-old man bled from deep wounds to his face. The metal trapped him. He wore only a lap belt. The night pressed in, silent and cold.

A violent crash on the southbound Major Deegan Expressway left a 2015 Audi SUV demolished and its sole occupant, a 40-year-old man, suffering severe lacerations to his face. According to the police report, the vehicle was found crushed, with the driver conscious but bleeding heavily and trapped by the wreckage. The report notes the driver wore only a lap belt. The police narrative describes the scene: 'Southbound on the Major Deegan, a 2015 Audi SUV lay crushed. Inside, a 40-year-old man bled from deep cuts to his face. He wore only a lap belt. He was awake. The metal held him.' The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified,' offering no further detail on the cause. No other vehicles or road users were involved. The focus remains on the catastrophic impact and the resulting injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4778577 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Dec 7 - A sedan turned left at E 149th and Jackson. An e-scooter slammed its front into the car’s rear. The rider hit the pavement, head split, blood pooling. He did not move. The street bore witness to another brutal collision.

At the corner of E 149th Street and Jackson Avenue in the Bronx, a sedan making a left turn was struck in the right rear bumper by an e-scooter traveling straight, according to the police report. The report states, 'A sedan turned left. An e-scooter slammed its rear. The rider, 38, unlicensed, helmetless, hit the pavement hard. Blood pooled. His head split. He did not move.' The e-scooter rider suffered severe head lacerations and was found unconscious. The police report lists the sedan’s pre-crash action as 'Making Left Turn' and the e-scooter’s as 'Going Straight Ahead.' No specific driver errors are cited in the report, but the sequence of events centers on the sedan’s left turn across the path of the e-scooter. The report notes the e-scooter rider was unlicensed and helmetless, but these details follow the account of the sedan’s maneuver. The crash left the vulnerable road user gravely injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4778122 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Dec 5 - Council bill bars cars from blocking crosswalks. No standing or parking within 20 feet. City must install daylighting barriers at 1,000 intersections yearly. Streets clear. Sightlines open. Danger cut.

Int 1138-2024, now laid over in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced December 5, 2024. The bill states: “prohibiting standing or parking a vehicle within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.” Council Member Erik D. Bottcher leads, joined by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and over two dozen co-sponsors. The law orders the Department of Transportation to install daylighting barriers at a minimum of 1,000 intersections each year, up from 100. The city must also run outreach and education. The bill aims to keep crosswalks clear, improve visibility, and protect people on foot and bike. No more hiding behind parked cars. The committee laid the bill over on April 21, 2025.

• File Int 1138-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-12-05

Nov 13 - Council demands DOT show its work. The law forces public updates on every street safety project. No more hiding delays. No more silent cost overruns. Progress for bus riders, cyclists, and walkers must be tracked and posted.

Int 1105-2024 became law on May 10, 2025, after action by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill, sponsored by Julie Won and co-sponsored by Brooks-Powers, Hanif, Ayala, and others, amends the city code to require the Department of Transportation to post annual and monthly updates on all projects tied to the streets master plan. The law’s title: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to tracking progress made towards the requirements of the streets master plan.' It forces transparency on protected bike lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian signals, and upgrades. The public will see delays, costs, and status. No more secrets. The mayor returned it unsigned, but the law stands.

• File Int 1105-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-11-13

Nov 9 - A sedan cut left on 2nd Avenue. Metal struck a 56-year-old e-scooter rider’s head. Blood spilled. Speech faltered. The man lay broken in the street while traffic rolled past. Unsafe lane change left a body and silence behind.

According to the police report, a sedan veered left near 2034 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, striking a 56-year-old man riding an e-scooter. The crash occurred as the sedan was 'entering parked position' and the e-scooter was 'going straight ahead.' The report lists 'Unsafe Lane Changing' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. The impact gashed the rider’s head, leaving him incoherent and severely injured. The police narrative states, 'Steel kissed skull. A 56-year-old man dropped hard, head gashed, speech broken. No helmet. Blood pooled. The street hushed.' The report notes the victim was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after citing the driver’s errors. The collision underscores the danger posed by improper lane changes and driver inattention to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4769895 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 17 - A man on an e-scooter crashed into a parked sedan on East 149 Street. He flew forward, face first, blood pooling on the asphalt. His face was torn open. He stayed conscious, pain etched deep, the car unmoved.

According to the police report, a 36-year-old man riding an e-scooter struck a parked sedan on East 149 Street. The report states the e-scooter operator 'hit a parked sedan,' was 'ejected,' and landed 'face first.' The man suffered 'severe lacerations' to his face but remained conscious at the scene. The police report explicitly lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The sedan, a 2017 Nissan, was parked and sustained no damage. The e-scooter rider was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this detail is mentioned only after the primary cause: inattention. The collision left the street marked by blood and injury, underscoring the lethal consequences of distraction on New York City streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4764243 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 13 - A BMW motorcycle collided with the left side of a Toyota SUV at East 106th Street and 3rd Avenue. The rider and passenger were thrown, suffered fatal head trauma and crush injuries. The impact silenced the street, ending two lives instantly.

According to the police report, at 4:43 a.m., a BMW motorcycle traveling north struck the left side doors of a Toyota SUV heading west at East 106th Street and 3rd Avenue. The motorcycle rider, 30, and his passenger, 35, were ejected and died from head trauma and crush wounds despite wearing helmets. The report explicitly cites 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor for the motorcycle driver, indicating a critical driver error. The SUV driver had no contributing factors listed. The violent impact and fatal injuries highlight the deadly consequences of driver negligence at this intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763117 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Oct 11 - A Toyota sedan struck a southbound cyclist on East 102nd near Madison. The man’s arm was crushed. He stayed conscious, half-thrown from his bike. The street froze, the bumper bent, the city’s danger laid bare.

A crash on East 102nd Street near Madison Avenue in Manhattan left a 40-year-old cyclist injured after a Toyota sedan struck him, according to the police report. The cyclist, traveling south, was hit by the sedan’s left front bumper and partially ejected from his bike. The report states the man suffered crush injuries to his arm but remained conscious at the scene. Both vehicles were reportedly heading straight before the collision. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified,' offering no further detail on the driver’s actions. The narrative describes the impact as forceful, with the cyclist thrown partway off his bike and the sedan’s bumper bent. No evidence in the report points to cyclist behavior as a contributing factor. The crash underscores the persistent threat vehicles pose to people moving through city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763401 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 27 - Steel struck flesh on East 125th. A minicycle, speeding, crashed head-on into an ambulance mid-turn. The 22-year-old rider, helmeted, was crushed but conscious. Signals ignored. The scooter’s front folded. The street echoed with the cost of haste.

A violent collision unfolded at East 125th Street and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan when, according to the police report, a minicycle 'slammed head-on into an ambulance mid-turn.' The crash left the 22-year-old minicycle rider with crush injuries across his entire body, though he remained conscious at the scene. The report cites 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors, underscoring the systemic dangers present when signals are ignored and speed exceeds safe limits. The minicycle, traveling straight, collided with the ambulance as it made a left turn. The police report notes that the rider was wearing a helmet at the time of impact. The scooter’s front end was described as folding 'like paper,' a stark testament to the force involved when traffic controls fail to protect vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4759833 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 26 - Council ends jaywalking penalties. Pedestrians now cross anywhere, any time. No summons. Law strips drivers of excuses. Streets shift. Power tilts to people on foot.

Int 0346-2024, now enacted, rewrites New York’s pedestrian rules. The bill, heard by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, passed on September 26, 2024, and became law on October 26, 2024. Its title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way.” Sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and co-sponsored by Narcisse, Won, Hanif, Hudson, and Restler, the law lets pedestrians cross streets anywhere, even against signals. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks. The Department of Transportation must educate all street users on new rights and responsibilities. The law removes a tool police used to target walkers. It shifts blame from people on foot to the system and those behind the wheel.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Sep 25 - A southbound bus hit a 35-year-old woman on 3rd Avenue near East 138th Street. She fell, her head bleeding onto the asphalt. The driver did not stop. Morning light caught the blood pooling beneath her as she lay conscious.

A 35-year-old woman was struck by a southbound bus on 3rd Avenue near East 138th Street at 7:50 a.m., according to the police report. The report states the bus hit the woman as she crossed without a signal, causing her to fall and suffer a severe head injury with significant bleeding. The driver did not remain at the scene. Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. The report notes the pedestrian was not at an intersection and was crossing without a signal, but this is listed after the driver's error. The vehicle, a 2016 CHEV-TRUCK/BUS, showed no damage, and the point of impact was the left front bumper. The incident underscores the lethal consequences of driver distraction for people on foot.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4760048 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 6 - A Chevy SUV tore into a solid object on 3rd Avenue near East 139th. The driver, alone, bled from his arm. Distraction ruled the moment. Metal twisted. Blood pooled. The street fell silent after impact.

A single-vehicle crash unfolded on 3rd Avenue near East 139th Street when a Chevy SUV, driven by a 25-year-old man, struck a solid object head-on. According to the police report, the driver was alone and suffered severe bleeding from his arm. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Outside Car Distraction' as contributing factors. The SUV sustained heavy damage to its center front end. The narrative notes, 'Distraction stole his focus. Metal bent. Flesh tore.' No other vehicles or road users were involved. The police report does not cite any victim behavior as a factor. The crash underscores the ongoing risk posed by driver distraction on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4755455 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Sep 2 - A baby boy, alone in darkness, was struck and killed by an unlicensed SUV driver on the Major Deegan Expressway. The driver did not stop. The child died far from any crosswalk, crushed beneath the left front bumper.

A baby boy was killed on the Major Deegan Expressway when he was struck by the left front bumper of a 2008 Toyota SUV, according to the police report. The report states the child was crossing alone in the dark, far from any crosswalk, when the unlicensed driver hit him and did not stop. The police describe the child as suffering crush injuries to his entire body and dying at the scene. The driver’s license status is listed as 'Unlicensed' in the report, and the vehicle was traveling straight ahead. The police narrative makes clear the driver left the scene. No contributing factors are specified beyond the unlicensed status and failure to remain. The focus remains on the actions of the driver and the systemic danger posed by unlicensed, hit-and-run motorists on high-speed roadways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752519 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 29 - A box truck barreled through East 109th and 3rd, ignoring the signal. The driver struck a 63-year-old cyclist head-on. The man flew, landed hard, and bled on the asphalt, conscious but torn. The truck’s disregard left violence in its wake.

According to the police report, a box truck traveling west on East 109th Street at 3rd Avenue 'ran the light,' disregarding traffic control. The truck struck a 63-year-old man riding a bike, hitting him headfirst. The report states the cyclist was ejected and suffered severe head lacerations, lying conscious but injured on the street. The primary contributing factor listed is 'Traffic Control Disregarded,' highlighting the truck driver's failure to obey the signal. The report notes the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is mentioned only after the driver's traffic violation. The crash underscores the lethal consequences when large vehicles ignore basic traffic controls in Manhattan’s dense streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4754704 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 15 - Two sedans raced north under midnight lights. One struck hard from behind. Metal buckled. A woman, thirty, trapped in her seat, neck burning, stayed conscious as her car folded. The road did not yield. The impact did not forgive.

According to the police report, two sedans traveling northbound on Bruckner Expressway collided near midnight. The report states that one sedan struck the other from behind, folding metal and crushing the rear vehicle. A 30-year-old woman, belted in her seat and driving the struck car, suffered neck injuries but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as a contributing factor, highlighting improper driver behavior as the cause of the crash. The impact was centered on the back end of the victim's vehicle, while the striking sedan showed damage to its front. No mention is made of any victim error or behavior contributing to the crash. The systemic danger of high-speed expressway driving and improper lane usage left the woman injured and her car destroyed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4748282 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 15 - City law now forces DOT to reveal where bikes and scooters go. Streets and bridges, protected or not. Data goes public. Riders’ movement, danger, and safety projects laid bare. No more hiding the facts.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and passed on August 15, 2024. The law orders the Department of Transportation to post current bicycle and micromobility ridership data online, updated monthly or at least yearly. The matter summary reads: 'requiring the department of transportation to provide information about bicycle and other micromobility device activity.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led as primary sponsor, joined by Farías, Restler, Hudson, Schulman, and others. The law demands transparency on where riders travel and what DOT does to keep them safe. This opens the books on bike movement and exposes gaps in protection.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-08-15

Aug 7 - A taxi rolled east near 545 East 142nd. A man walked outside the crosswalk. Steel met flesh. His leg folded, pain sharp. He stayed conscious. The street fell silent, the city’s danger exposed.

According to the police report, a taxi traveling east near 545 East 142nd Street in the Bronx struck a 37-year-old man who was walking where no crosswalk marked the way. The report states the pedestrian suffered crush injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot, but remained conscious at the scene. The narrative describes, 'No screech, no dent. Just his leg folded under steel.' The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both the driver and the pedestrian. There is no mention of driver evasive action or vehicle damage. The pedestrian was not at an intersection and was engaged in 'Other Actions in Roadway.' The absence of a marked crosswalk and the lack of specified driver error in the report highlight the persistent systemic dangers faced by people on foot in New York City streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4746385 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Aug 7 - A Toyota SUV hit a 25-year-old woman in the Bronx. She crossed against the signal. Her body crumpled under the wheels. She stayed conscious, pain radiating. The SUV rolled on, untouched. The intersection bore witness to her suffering.

At the corner of 127th Street and Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx, a Toyota SUV struck a 25-year-old woman as she crossed the intersection. According to the police report, the woman was 'crossing against the light' when the SUV, traveling straight ahead, hit her with its center front end. The impact left her with crush injuries to her entire body, though she remained conscious at the scene. The report notes that the SUV showed 'no damage' and continued on after the collision. The police report lists the pedestrian's action as 'crossing against signal' but does not cite any specific driver errors or contributing factors beyond 'unspecified.' The narrative describes the violence of the impact and the pain left behind, focusing on the systemic danger present at this Bronx intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747955 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jul 29 - Two sedans collided on 1st Avenue. One struck a man stepping from behind a parked car. His hip shattered. He died in the street. Alcohol and unsafe speed fueled the crash. The sun was still up. The city swallowed another life.

A 60-year-old man was fatally injured on 1st Avenue at East 105th Street in Manhattan when two sedans collided and one struck him, according to the police report. The report states, "A man stepped from behind a parked car. Two sedans collided. One struck him. His hip shattered. He died in the street." The crash occurred at 15:42 in daylight. Police explicitly cite "Alcohol Involvement" and "Unsafe Speed" as contributing factors. The sedan that struck the pedestrian was changing lanes at the time of the crash. The pedestrian's action is listed as "Emerging from in Front of/Behind Parked Vehicle," but the primary focus remains on driver errors: alcohol use and unsafe speed. These driver actions caused the deadly impact described in the police narrative.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4744546 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19