MTA Bus Driver Fatally Hits Woman in Queens Crosswalk
A 48-year-old MTA bus driver hit a woman in a Queens crosswalk; police said she lacked a walk signal and later died at Elmhurst Hospital.
What We Know
According to the police report, a licensed male driver in a 2009 bus was traveling east on Ditmars Boulevard near 31st Street on a Thursday morning when he hit a 53-year-old woman in the intersection. The report states she was crossing against the signal. She suffered fatal injuries to her entire body and was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash involved an oversized vehicle in a busy Queens corridor.
Police and city records describe the crash
The sources differ on timing. The official record lists the crash at 8:05 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025, while Gothamist, citing police, reported that it happened shortly after 6 a.m.
A fatal crash on the 31st Street corridor
The crash happened at Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street in Queens, on the 31st Street corridor. CrashCountNYC Crash Finder counted 658 crashes, 403 injuries, 17 serious injuries and 3 deaths on 31st Street in Queens from the start of 2022 through June 1, 2026.
Records identify an MTA bus and a licensed driver
The official vehicle record lists a 2009 Ontario Bus Industries Inc. bus and records the driver as licensed in New York. The entry says the driver was heading east and going straight ahead before the crash.
Signal and sightline details appear in the records
The official person record says the woman was crossing against the signal, and police told Gothamist she was in the crosswalk but did not have a walk signal. The official vehicle entry also lists limited or obstructed view as a contributing factor.
Investigators were still reviewing the case
Police said the NYPD Highway District's Collision Investigation Squad was investigating the crash. As of Jan. 3, police told Gothamist the driver was not facing charges.