Blood on Lenox, Silence at City Hall

A cyclist slammed hard on E 135 St at Madison Ave. He flew from his bike. Blood poured from his head. The crash left him conscious but hurt. Obstructed view played a role. The street stayed silent after the impact.

A 31-year-old male bicyclist was injured on E 135 St at Madison Ave in Manhattan. According to the police report, the cyclist was ejected from his bike and suffered severe bleeding from the head. He remained conscious after the crash. The report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' as a contributing factor. The police also noted 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' in the crash data. No other vehicles were reported damaged. The cyclist was not using any safety equipment at the time, as stated in the report. The crash highlights the dangers faced by cyclists when visibility is compromised.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4814636, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A van turned left on St Nicholas. It struck an eastbound e-scooter. The scooter rider took the blow to his head. He suffered crush injuries. Unsafe speed played a role. The street bore witness. The city did not slow.

A refrigerated van, heading west on W 145th Street, made a left turn onto St Nicholas Avenue. It collided with a 39-year-old man riding an e-scooter eastbound. According to the police report, 'Unsafe Speed' was a contributing factor in the crash. The e-scooter rider was struck and suffered head injuries described as 'crush injuries.' The van’s left front bumper took the impact. The police report lists no contributing factors for the e-scooter rider. No other injuries were specified for the van’s occupants. The crash underscores the danger when large vehicles turn across paths at speed. The report makes clear: speed and turning movements combined to harm a vulnerable road user.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813549, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council Member Yusef Salaam pushes a resolution urging Albany to force repeat speeders to install speed governors. Families of crash victims and advocates rally behind the move. The bill targets drivers with six or more tickets. Support grows after deadly crashes.

On April 30, 2025, Council Member Yusef Salaam, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety, introduced a City Council resolution supporting New York State Senate Bill S7621. The bill, now pending, would let courts require drivers with six or more automated speeding tickets in a year to install speed limiter devices. Salaam’s resolution, co-sponsored by five council members, urges Albany to act. The matter title: 'Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers.' Salaam said, 'It's very simple: it's to save lives.' The hearing drew families of crash victims and advocates like Amy Cohen and Darnell Sealy-McCrorey, who lost loved ones to reckless drivers. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and other officials back the measure. Salaam’s leadership signals growing momentum for the first bill of its kind in the country.

• Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-30

Council members slammed NYPD brass for denying racial bias in traffic enforcement. Data shows Black drivers face more searches and arrests. NYPD blamed crime patterns. Lawmakers called it an excuse. The city’s history of biased policing loomed large.

On April 29, 2025, the City Council held an oversight hearing on NYPD traffic enforcement and racial bias. Council Members Yusef Salaam, Tiffany Caban, and Lincoln Restler pressed NYPD Director Joshua Levin about stark racial disparities. The matter: 'Council members criticized NYPD leadership over racial disparities in traffic enforcement after the department refused to acknowledge evidence of bias.' Restler called the disparity 'extreme.' Caban said, 'Black and brown people are being beaten up, searched, arrested, 10 times more than white people.' The NYPD claimed disparities stem from policing high-crime areas. Lawmakers rejected this, citing data showing Black and Latinx drivers are disproportionately stopped, searched, and arrested. The hearing referenced the city’s long record of racially biased enforcement, including jaywalking laws once used to target Black and Latinx New Yorkers. Experts, including the NYCLU, say the Adams administration’s surge in traffic stops continues a pattern of racist policing.

• Council Pols Fume as NYPD Disputes Report of Racial Bias in Traffic Enforcement, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-29

Council calls for speed limiters in cars of repeat speeders. The resolution urges Albany to pass S.7621/A.7979. The measure targets reckless drivers. It aims to cut deadly crashes. The bill sits in committee. Streets remain dangerous.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges the state to pass S.7621/A.7979. The resolution, introduced April 24, 2025, calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by Salaam, Hanif, Gutiérrez, Banks, and Brannan. The bill would force drivers with eleven or more points in eighteen months, or six speed/red light camera tickets in a year, to install speed-limiting tech. The Council cites data: 265 killed, 52,949 injured on city streets in 2023. The measure aims to put a brake on reckless driving. The committee has not yet advanced the resolution. Vulnerable road users wait for action.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Council wants VINs on tickets when plates vanish or hide. Lawbreakers dodge cameras with covered plates. Cops seize thousands of these cars. Current law lets violators slip away. The bill aims to close that loophole. Committee delays action.

Resolution 0853-2025 sits with the Committee on Public Safety, laid over since April 24, 2025. The measure calls on Albany to let police list a car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on a Notice of Violation when the license plate is missing, concealed, obscured, or distorted. The matter title reads: 'Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation to amend the vehicle and traffic law to permit a motor vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to be listed in a Notice of Violation, instead of license plate number, in circumstances when a license plate of such vehicle is missing, concealed, obscured, or distorted.' Council Members Chris Banks (primary sponsor, District 42) and Yusef Salaam (co-sponsor, District 9) back the bill. The law now demands a plate number on tickets, letting violators escape if plates are unreadable. The bill would let cops use the VIN, closing a loophole that shields reckless drivers from accountability.

• File Res 0853-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

A stolen minivan tore through Harlem. The driver ran from police. He struck Devon Hughley on a scooter. Hughley died at Harlem Hospital. The driver fled. Police used facial recognition. They arrested Enesin Delarosa. Grief lingers. Memorials remain.

According to the NY Daily News (2025-03-06), Enesin Delarosa, 26, was arrested for fatally striking Devon Hughley, 45, while fleeing an NYPD car stop in Harlem on November 2. The article reports Delarosa was driving a stolen minivan and "allegedly hit Hughley near W.155th St. and St. Nicholas Ave. while fleeing a traffic stop." Delarosa faces charges of manslaughter, leaving the scene, fleeing police, and possession of stolen property. The crash highlights the lethal risk of high-speed police pursuits and the dangers posed by stolen vehicles in dense urban areas. Memorial posters for Hughley remain in his building. The article quotes Hughley's sister, Yvette Palmer: "the arrest brought some peace."

• Scooter Rider Killed Fleeing Traffic Stop, NY Daily News, Published 2025-03-06

A city bus struck a 59-year-old man on an e-bike at Lenox Avenue and West 138th Street. His head was crushed. He died there, unconscious, in the dark, while the city slept. The street claimed another life.

A 59-year-old man riding an e-bike was killed when a northbound bus struck him at Lenox Avenue and West 138th Street in Manhattan, according to the police report. The report states, 'A 59-year-old man on an e-bike was struck by a northbound bus. His head was crushed. He died there, unconscious, in the dark, as the city slept around him.' The bus and e-bike were both reported as going straight ahead before the crash. The police report lists contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are specified in the data, but the fatal impact between the bus and the vulnerable cyclist resulted in a deadly head injury. The e-bike rider was not using any safety equipment, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the absence of specified driver errors. The crash took place just after midnight, underscoring the ongoing danger faced by cyclists on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4789910, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council moves to test bold pavement markings at crash sites. Five spots per borough. Focus: places where drivers have killed or hurt the most. The city must report back. The law dies when the pilot ends. Streets remember every scar.

Int 1154-2024 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced December 19, 2024, the bill orders a pilot for high visibility pavement markings. The official title: 'A Local Law in relation to establishing a high visibility pavement marking pilot program and the repeal of this local law upon the expiration thereof.' Council Member Yusef Salaam leads as primary sponsor, joined by Menin, De La Rosa, Brooks-Powers, Cabán, Brannan, and Hanif. The bill demands at least five marked sites per borough, targeting places with the most injuries and deaths from bad driving. After the pilot, the city must report on results and recommend next steps. The law sunsets when the pilot ends. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File Int 1154-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-12-19

Four vehicles collide at midnight on W 134th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd. Steel twists, glass shatters. Three men, belted in, suffer crushed necks and torn flesh. Sirens wail as blood pools on cold asphalt, the city’s silence shattered by chaos.

According to the police report, a violent multi-vehicle collision occurred at midnight at the intersection of W 134th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd in Manhattan. Four vehicles—a Volvo, Toyota, Mini, and NYC EMS truck—were all traveling straight ahead before impact. Three men driving sedans sustained serious crush injuries to the neck and abdomen. The report explicitly cites 'Alcohol Involvement' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors for two of the drivers. The narrative describes the aftermath: 'Three men, belted in, crushed and bleeding. One groans through torn flesh. Alcohol on breath.' No pedestrian involvement or victim behavior was listed as a contributing factor. The crash centers on driver errors and systemic danger, with alcohol and distraction fueling the midnight wreck.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4784020, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Two council members withdrew support for Intro 606 after a fierce hearing. Critics warned the bill would harm immigrants and delivery workers. DOT found no proof it would make streets safer. The bill still has 29 co-sponsors. Debate rages on.

Intro 606, a New York City Council bill requiring e-bike registration, lost support from Council Members Chi Ossé and Yusef Salaam after a divisive December 12, 2024 hearing in committee. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring registration of certain bicycles with electric assist,' drew sharp criticism. Ossé cited fears of increased police enforcement and harm to immigrant communities: 'The hearing demonstrated concerns about the bill to be right: Beyond its sweeping consequences for green transit and healthy urbanism, Intro 606 could spell disaster for immigrant communities.' DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez opposed the bill, stating it would burden delivery workers and lacks evidence for improving safety. Civil rights groups warned of racial bias and criminalization. Despite withdrawals, 29 council members still co-sponsor the bill. Another measure, Intro 1131, proposing a task force to study e-bikes, received broad support.

• Two Council Members Abandon E-Bike Registration Bill After Divisive Hearing, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-12-12

A 66-year-old man lay dying on W 135th Street, crushed by a westbound Toyota. His head shattered, organs ruptured. The streetlights glared down as life left his body. The car rolled on, the city’s danger exposed again.

According to the police report, a 66-year-old man was struck and killed by a westbound Toyota at the corner of W 135th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. The report states the pedestrian was 'outside the crosswalk' when the collision occurred. The impact crushed his head and ruptured his organs. He died at the scene, under the streetlights. The vehicle was described as a 'TOYT -CAR/SUV' traveling straight ahead. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No evidence in the report points to any driver evasive action or external hazard. The focus remains on the lethal interaction between the moving vehicle and the vulnerable pedestrian, underscoring the persistent systemic danger at city intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4769074, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

An SUV struck a bike near West 141st. Two men thrown. Legs torn, blood on blacktop. The bike twisted, SUV front crushed. Both riders conscious. One was a child. Alcohol played its part. The city’s danger revealed in steel and flesh.

According to the police report, a Station Wagon/SUV traveling north on Saint Nicholas Avenue near West 141st Street collided with a bike, resulting in severe injuries to two male bicyclists, one of whom was a child. Both victims suffered severe lacerations to their legs and remained conscious at the scene. The report states, 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV’s front end was crushed, and the bike was demolished. The narrative describes the SUV as having 'plowed into a bike,' with both riders thrown and blood slicking the asphalt. The police report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The collision underscores the lethal consequences when drivers operate vehicles under the influence, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to catastrophic harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4761533, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Council bill Int 1069-2024 slashes legal parking time for tractor-trailers and similar trucks to 90 minutes. Commercial vehicles clogging curbs will face tighter limits. The measure targets streets where hulking rigs linger, blocking sightlines and endangering walkers and riders.

Int 1069-2024, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced on September 26, 2024. The bill reads: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to reducing the maximum time commercial vehicles may park." It limits parking for tractor-trailer combinations, tractors, truck trailers, and semi-trailers to 90 minutes, down from three hours. Council Member Kevin C. Riley leads as primary sponsor, joined by Nantasha M. Williams, Darlene Mealy, Sandy Nurse, and others. The bill was referred to committee the day it was introduced. No safety analyst has yet assessed the direct impact on vulnerable road users, but the measure aims to keep large trucks from blocking curbs and crosswalks, where they threaten pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Int 1069-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Council passed a law letting pedestrians cross streets anywhere, at any time. Jaywalking is now legal. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks or against signals. The law shifts blame from walkers to drivers. Streets belong to people again.

Int 0346-2024, now Local Law 98 of 2024, was enacted by the City Council on October 26, 2024, after passing 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 pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way," lets pedestrians cross roadways at any point, even against traffic signals. It erases penalties for so-called jaywalking. Sponsors include Tiffany Cabán (primary), Lincoln Restler, Crystal Hudson, Shahana K. Hanif, Julie Won, Mercedes Narcisse, Darlene Mealy, Erik D. Bottcher, and Farah N. Louis. The Council voted overwhelmingly in favor. The law requires the Department of Transportation to educate all road users about these new rights. By ending jaywalking enforcement, the city removes a tool often used to blame victims and target the vulnerable. The law marks a shift: streets are for people, not just cars.

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

A teenage boy riding east on West 125th struck broken pavement and was hurled headfirst onto concrete. Blood pooled. He lay semiconscious, bleeding from the head. Sirens wailed. The city’s fractured streets claimed another young rider.

According to the police report, a 15-year-old boy riding a bike eastbound on West 125th Street in Harlem struck defective pavement. The report states the cyclist was ejected and landed headfirst, suffering severe bleeding and a head injury. He was found semiconscious, blood pooling on the concrete. The only listed contributing factors are 'Pavement Defective' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction,' underscoring the role of hazardous street conditions and lack of focus. The report notes the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this is not cited as a contributing factor. The crash highlights the dangers posed by neglected infrastructure and the systemic risks faced by vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4751696, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A taxi struck a cyclist on his left side at West 133rd and Lenox Avenue. The rider crashed hard, blood pooling at his waist. Four passengers watched silently. The bike lay twisted. The cyclist suffered severe abdominal injuries.

According to the police report, a taxi traveling north on Lenox Avenue struck a cyclist on the left side at West 133rd Street. The impact caused the cyclist to hit the pavement forcefully, resulting in severe lacerations to his abdomen and pelvis. The report notes blood pooling at the cyclist's waist and a twisted bike, while four passengers inside the taxi witnessed the aftermath. The police identified 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No driver errors such as 'Failure to Yield' were cited. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but helmet use was not listed as a contributing factor. The focus remains on the collision impact and the serious injuries sustained by the vulnerable road user.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4755223, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

An SUV turning left on 8th Avenue struck a northbound cyclist. The man flew, hit pavement, head split, blood pooled. Shock froze his eyes. The SUV’s bumper bent where his body broke. Night swallowed the scene in Manhattan.

According to the police report, a Station Wagon/SUV traveling south on 8th Avenue near 262nd Street made a left turn and struck a man riding a bike northbound, who was proceeding straight ahead. The report details that the cyclist was ejected, suffering a severe head injury and bleeding, with shock evident in his expression. The narrative states, 'He flew, hit pavement. Head split. Blood pooled. Eyes wide with shock. The bumper bent where his body broke.' The point of impact was the SUV’s left front bumper. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified' for both parties, but the SUV driver’s action—making a left turn into the path of a cyclist going straight—remains central to the crash. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the driver’s maneuver. The crash occurred late at night in Manhattan, underscoring the persistent danger for vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4743142, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A three-year-old girl crossing with the signal on Lenox Avenue was struck in the head by a turning SUV. She died at the scene. The SUV’s front end bore the impact, marking the fatal collision.

At Lenox Avenue and West 135th Street in Manhattan, a three-year-old girl was fatally struck by an eastbound SUV making a left turn. According to the police report, the child was 'crossing with the signal' when the 2020 Nissan SUV hit her in the head at the 'center front end' of the vehicle, which sustained damage there. The driver was licensed and operating the vehicle legally. The report lists contributing factors as 'Unspecified' but highlights the driver’s action of making a left turn into a crosswalk occupied by a pedestrian. The narrative states, 'She died there on the street. The front end bore the mark of her final moment.' No victim error is cited, focusing attention on the lethal consequences of the driver’s maneuver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4739974, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A taxi struck a 67-year-old cyclist at West 111th and 8th Avenue. The rider flew from his bike, head split, blood pooling on the street. Evening fell as he lay incoherent, victim of driver distraction and failure to yield.

According to the police report, a taxi traveling west on West 111th Street collided with a 67-year-old man riding a bicycle northbound at the corner of 8th Avenue. The cyclist was ejected from his bike, suffering severe head injuries and heavy bleeding. The report states the cab’s left front bumper was damaged in the crash. The cyclist was found incoherent at the scene. Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors in the collision. The narrative describes blood on the street and the rider’s head split open. The cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this detail is noted only after the driver’s errors, as listed in the police report. The crash underscores the lethal consequences of driver inattention in Manhattan’s dense streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4732710, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14