Source summary: tmp/experiments_runs/reporter-recency-v2/summary.json
Variant Summary (averages)
| Variant | Avg Score (1–10) | Poignancy Pass | Avg Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| default | 0.0 | 0/3 (0%) | $0.06 |
| recency_focus | 0.0 | 0/3 (0%) | $0.04 |
Detailed Runs
| Geo | Variant | Title | Words | Quotes | Links | Unmatched Domains | Auto Pass | Poignancy | Editor Score (1–10) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| community-481 | default | Queens CB81: a man killed, a pattern that does not stop | 528 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.07 |
| community-481 | recency_focus | Grand Central, Van Wyck, LIE: the toll in Queens CB81 | 603 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.05 |
| senate-12 | default | SD 12: Astoria Food Truck, Three Dead. The Count Keeps Climbing. | 580 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.07 |
| senate-12 | recency_focus | SD 12: Astoria morning. Three lives gone. | 490 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.04 |
| senate-32 | default | SD 32: a hit, a drag, a family left in the street | 648 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.04 |
| senate-32 | recency_focus | SD 32: a hit‑and‑run, and a ledger of loss | 509 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ❌ | ❌ | 0.0 | $0.04 |
default Queens CB81: a man killed, a pattern that does not stopAug 23, 2025, along United Nations Ave S by the park. A Ford sedan going straight hit a man in the roadway. He was killed (NYC Open Data). He was one of 3 people killed on CB81 streets since 2022. In that same span, these roads saw 925 crashes and 784 injuries (NYC Open Data). The numbers don’t blinkThis year through Aug 27: 201 crashes, 1 death, 182 injuries. Last year by this point: 165 crashes, 0 deaths, 178 injuries. Crashes are up 21.8% year over year in this area (NYC Open Data). Pedestrians bear the hit. In this period, pedestrians suffered 2 deaths and 20 injuries here. The fatal pedestrian crashes involved an SUV and a sedan, one each (NYC Open Data). Where it breaksHigh‑injury corridors run through the heart of this district. The Grand Central Parkway logged 258 injuries; the Van Wyck Expressway saw 255 injuries and 1 death. The Long Island Expressway tallied 94 injuries and 1 death. Roosevelt Avenue recorded 13 injuries, including 2 serious (NYC Open Data). Crashes strike at all hours. Injuries stack up in the late afternoon and evening, with heavy counts around 3 PM, 4 PM, 8 PM, and 10 PM. Deaths hit around midnight, late morning, and late afternoon in this dataset (NYC Open Data). What keeps causing itRecorded factors in these CB81 crashes include “driver inattention/distraction,” “failure to yield,” and improper turns. A catch‑all bucket labeled “other” sits on top of the worst outcomes here, tied to 4 deaths and 28 injuries in the period (NYC Open Data). On United Nations Ave S, the Aug 23 death was coded to driver inattention. The pedestrian was struck away from an intersection. The Ford was going straight (NYC Open Data). Local fixes first
These are basic tools. They match the patterns above. Then the laws that save livesThis district’s State Senator, John Liu, co‑sponsored and voted yes on S 4045, a bill to require intelligent speed limiters for repeat violators (Open States). The Assembly companion exists in the bill text cited by advocates. We do not see a recorded position in this context for Assembly Member Sam Berger. Citywide, one lever remains simple and strong: lower speeds. Our city has the power to set safer limits. The ask is clear: use it. The steps are laid out here. What now
FAQ
Citations
Geo: | recency_focus Grand Central, Van Wyck, LIE: the toll in Queens CB81Just last week (Aug 23), a Ford sedan going straight struck a pedestrian on United Nations Ave S. He died at the scene. Open Data lists him as a man, hit outside an intersection. Crash record. He was one of 3 people killed in Queens CB81 since Jan 1, 2022. The database shows 925 crashes and 784 injuries here over that span. Open Data. The death corridors run through the parkwaysGrand Central Parkway leads the harm roll: 258 injured at that location in this period. Van Wyck Expressway shows 1 death and 255 injured. The Long Island Expressway shows 1 death and 94 injured. These are the top hotspots in CB81. Open Data. Injuries stack up mid‑afternoon and into the evening. The 3 PM hour saw 56 injured; around 8 PM, 48 more. Open Data. Listed causes are blunt. “Other” is tied to 4 deaths. “Driver inattention/distraction” appears again and again among injury cases. Open Data. This year is worseYear to date, crashes in CB81 are up 21.8% from last year (201 vs. 165). Injuries ticked up to 182 from 178. There’s a death this year where there were none by this point last year. Open Data. A May 19 crash on Grand Central Parkway left a 53‑year‑old moped rider with a bleeding head wound after contact with a sedan. The record shows “Driver Inattention/Distraction.” Crash record. An earlier case on Van Wyck, Dec 3, 2024, shows a 41‑year‑old pedestrian killed in the roadway. A flatbed truck was parked; an SUV went straight ahead. The man died. Crash record. Queens keeps paying the priceElsewhere in the borough, a wrong‑way driver smashed cars on the Clearview. A judge gave him eight years. Queens DA Melinda Katz said, “Joseph Lee terrorized other drivers as he purposefully drove the wrong way on a busy Queens highway and crashed into multiple cars.” amNY. The pattern does not spare people on foot. Citywide press this month told of a 52‑year‑old man killed crossing near JFK; the driver ran. “The operator of the vehicle fled the scene,” police said. ABC7. Fix what we can seeStart where people get hurt: Grand Central, Van Wyck, the LIE, and Roosevelt Avenue. Add daylighting, hardened turns, and longer walk starts. Target late‑day hours when injuries spike. Focus enforcement on distraction and lane changes that put people down. Then go bigger. Lower speeds citywide. NYC has the power to set safer limits. The first move is a default 20 MPH on residential streets. The case is laid out here: Take Action. Shut down the worst drivers. State Senator John Liu co‑sponsored and voted “yes” on S 4045, a bill to require intelligent speed limiters for repeat speeders. Open States. The Assembly must move the companion. Assembly Member Sam Berger, will you back it? Council Member James F. Gennaro, will you press the city to lower speeds now? One death last week. Three here since 2022. The road keeps taking. Act now: slow the speed and stop the carnage. FAQ
Citations
Geo: |
default SD 12: Astoria Food Truck, Three Dead. The Count Keeps Climbing.Just after 8:30 AM in Astoria, an 84‑year‑old driver hit two men standing by a food truck at 19th Avenue and 42nd Street. The driver and both pedestrians died, police said (Gothamist). “My truck is totaled, but I still have my life,” the vendor said. “The car must have been going 50, 60 miles an hour” (NY Daily News). They are three of 35 people killed on streets in Senate District 12 since Jan 1, 2022, alongside 6,066 injured in 10,520 crashes (CrashCount analysis of NYC Open Data). Speed and steel at the curbAt the same corner, police said the car struck two men and then another vehicle. Both pedestrians died; the Volvo driver was unhurt (Gothamist). A TV clip gave the time as 8:37 AM (CBS New York). A day later, another outlet showed the wreckage and named the dead: Joaquin Venancio‑Mendez, 41, and Santiago Baires, 70. The paper reported the driver had been told not to drive two weeks earlier (amNY). The tally does not restIn the last 12 months here: 3,227 crashes, 2,038 injuries, 5 deaths. Year to date: 2,064 crashes versus 1,707 at this point last year, a 20.9% rise. Deaths fell in that same window, from 10 to 4 (CrashCount analysis of NYC Open Data). These numbers are people at bus doors, in crosswalks, on corners. A cyclist killed in a police chase in Astoria. A pedestrian killed at 31st Street and Ditmars by a bus at the intersection (NYC Open Data crash 4783310). Officials know what can help. Will they do it?Albany advanced a bill to stop the worst repeat speeders. Senator Michael Gianaris backed it — he co‑sponsored S 4045 and voted yes in committee on Jun 11 and Jun 12, 2025 (Open States). The Senate also voted to keep school‑zone speed enforcement running (Streetsblog NYC). What about the Assembly? Steven Raga represents AD 30. The context here does not document his position on the Assembly companion to S 4045. What gives? At City Hall, the tools exist to slow cars. Our own city page lays out two steps: lower the default limit across neighborhoods and require speed limiters for drivers with long rap sheets of camera tickets. The path is clear; the delays are not. See the specifics and the numbers on our site’s action page (Take Action). Don’t wait for the next corner
Slow the cars. Curb the repeat offenders. Then count fewer names. Take one step now. Tell your representatives to act on speed and repeat offenders on our Take Action page. FAQ
Citations
Geo: | recency_focus SD 12: Astoria morning. Three lives gone.Just after 8:30 AM at 19th Ave and 42nd St, an 84‑year‑old in a Corolla hit men standing at a food truck. Two pedestrians died. The driver died too. “The car must have been going 50, 60 miles an hour,” the truck’s owner said. “It just wiped out everything.” source source They were among 35 people killed and 6,066 injured on the streets of this district since 2022. The crashes total 10,520. source In the last year alone: 5 dead, 2,038 injured, 3,227 crashes. The count does not stop. source Speed and fleshTwo men at a cart. Metal at speed. One witness said the engine roared, tires screamed, then bodies were “laid out and lifeless.” source source Police said it happened just after 8:30 AM. Both pedestrians—42 and 70—were hit outside the truck. No arrests. The investigation continues. source The record in Queens 12Since Jan 2022 here: 35 dead, 83 seriously hurt, 6,066 injured. Most injuries come from cars and SUVs. Trucks and buses kill too. source Year to date, deaths are down versus last year. Crashes and injuries are up. This is not safety. It is survival by calendar. source Officials knew the risksOn the Queensboro Bridge, the city stalled a promised pedestrian path. Lawmakers warned delays “put at risk the thousands” who walk and bike there daily. The lane reverted to cars after a protest. source source In the 114th Precinct area, high‑speed police chases became a norm, and a cyclist died. Policy says weigh the risk; practice fell short. Residents asked for change. source Laws on the tableState Senator Michael Gianaris co‑sponsored and voted yes on S 4045, a bill to fit repeat violators’ cars with speed limiters. A June version triggered installation after eleven DMV points in 24 months or six camera tickets in a year. source Citywide, the path is clear: lower default speeds and rein in repeat speeders. Use Sammy’s Law and pass speed limiters. The tools exist. The deaths do too. source What now
Start here: act now at Take Action. FAQ
Citations
Geo: |
default SD 32: a hit, a drag, a family left in the streetJust before 1 AM on May 10, 2025, a black Mercedes hit Kelvin Mitchell in a mid‑block crosswalk at Webster Avenue and East 169th Street, then dragged him half a block. The driver fled. “That car deliberately went straight speeding, didn’t stop… they killed my son,” his mother said here. A police van was seen chasing the Mercedes before the crash, according to video obtained by Streetsblog. He is one of 26 people killed in crashes in Senate District 32 since 2022, amid 9,188 crashes and 5,697 injuries, including 87 classified as serious, in that same window (NYC Open Data). The corner keeps bleedingMitchell’s death was logged in the city crash database just after midnight on May 10, 2025. Investigators listed “Unsafe Speed.” The car was a Mercedes sedan. The hit was at an intersection (NYC Open Data crash record). His family stood by the candles. “They killed my son. I need justice for my son,” his mother said later. This is not an outlier. In the last 12 months alone, SD 32 saw 2,751 crashes, 1,906 injuries, and 6 deaths. Year‑to‑date, crashes are up 17.7% over last year’s pace and serious injuries are up 38.9% (NYC Open Data). Who gets hit, and by whatSince 2022, the district’s pedestrian toll includes at least 10 pedestrian deaths, with SUVs and sedans the common killers in those cases (NYC Open Data). The dead span ages: 31 at East 167th and Washington, 56 at Westchester and East 163rd, 65 at Franklin and East 169th. Each listed “Apparent Death” in the database. Each at an intersection (NYC Open Data crash records). On May 10, the system called it what it was: speed. The driver did not stay. The body was found in the crossing. The tape fluttered on the pole (ABC7, Streetsblog). The numbers climb; the levers existThe trend does not break. Year‑to‑date in SD 32: 1,765 crashes, 1,276 injuries, 25 serious injuries, 3 deaths through Aug 27, versus 1,499, 1,027, 18, 4 by the same point last year (NYC Open Data). In Albany, Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda backed a bill to curb repeat speeders. He voted yes in committee on S 4045, which would require intelligent speed assistance for drivers with repeated violations (June 11–12 votes). He also co‑sponsored S 7336 to expand camera enforcement of plate obstruction and speed zones (bill file). At City Hall, the power to drop speeds on local streets is on the table. The ask is plain: a lower default speed and real checks on the worst drivers. Our own action brief lays out both steps here. Who moves next
Kelvin Mitchell’s mother said it once. “They killed my son.” The tools to slow the next car exist. Use them. Start here. FAQ
Citations
Geo: | recency_focus SD 32: a hit‑and‑run, and a ledger of lossJust after 1 AM at Webster Avenue and East 169th Street, a black Mercedes hit Kelvin Mitchell and kept going (May 10, 2025). “They killed my son. I need justice for my son,” his mother said. ABC7 reported he was thrown and dragged. Streetsblog obtained video that showed a police van chasing the Mercedes before the crash. He is one of 26 people killed on the streets of Senate District 32 since Jan 1, 2022. The district logged 9,188 crashes and 5,697 injuries over that span, with 87 serious injuries. NYC Open Data The numbers don’t stopYear to date, SD 32 has 1,765 crashes and 1,276 injuries, up from 1,499 and 1,027 at this point last year. Serious injuries rose from 18 to 25. Deaths dipped from 4 to 3. NYC Open Data SUVs and sedans figure in most pedestrian harm recorded here: at least 9 pedestrian deaths tied to those vehicle classes in the period counted. NYC Open Data A pattern at the cornerMitchell stood in a crosswalk. The car hit him and dragged him half a block, then fled. His family’s words are plain. “They will be liable for my brother’s death,” his sister said. Streetsblog This is not an outlier. A 31‑year‑old woman, crossing with the signal at East 167th Street and Washington Avenue, was killed in daylight (May 28, 2024). The crash involved three SUVs. NYC Open Data – CrashID 4728165 Speed and flightMitchell’s case shows two things we see often: speed and leaving the scene. A chase preceded the hit; police declined comment to Streetsblog. “They killed my son,” his mother said. Streetsblog ABC7 The state has a bill to stop the worst repeat speeders. The Stop Super Speeders Act (S4045) would require speed limiters for drivers with patterns of violations. It advanced in June. Open States Who moved, who hasn’tState Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda backed S4045 in committee and is listed as a co‑sponsor. Open States He also co‑sponsored S7336 to expand camera enforcement against plate‑obscuring and extend speed cameras. Open States Assembly Member Chantel Jackson represents this area. Will she press the Assembly to pass the companion and make speed limiters real in law? Council Member Oswald Feliz represents much of this district. Will he back a safer default speed citywide? What must happen nowLower the city speed limit. Fit the worst repeat offenders’ cars with speed limiters. Both steps are on the table. Our own action guide has the details and contacts. Take action. FAQ
Citations
Geo: |