Third Avenue: Two Miles, Too Many Graves

Sep 27 - A driver tried a U-turn on 50th Street at Second Avenue in Brooklyn. Another driver went south. The drivers crashed. Three passengers and the U-turn driver were hurt. Police listed contributing factors as unspecified.

Two sedans crashed at 50 St and 2 Ave in Brooklyn. One driver traveled south. The other moved east and attempted a U-turn. Four people were hurt: three passengers and the U-turn driver. Injuries included neck trauma, a shoulder injury, fractures, and internal injuries. "According to the police report, the eastbound driver was 'Making U Turn' and the southbound driver was 'Going Straight Ahead' at the time of impact." The report lists contributing factors as "Unspecified" for the drivers. Damage aligned with the reports: right front bumper on the southbound car and left front quarter panel on the U-turn car.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845352 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• Breaking: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Cyclist in Brooklyn, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-09-27

Sep 20 - At 4th Ave and 59th St in Brooklyn, a westbound driver turned left across a southbound motorcyclist. The 65-year-old rider went down with hip and leg injuries. Police recorded Turning Improperly.

A westbound sedan driver turned left at 4th Avenue and 59th Street in Brooklyn and crossed the path of a southbound motorcyclist going straight. The rider, 65, suffered hip and upper-leg injuries with abrasions and was conscious. According to the police report, the sedan driver was making a left turn, and police recorded "Turning Improperly." Impact damaged the motorcycle’s front end and the sedan’s right-side doors. The motorcyclist is the injured party. The sedan driver reported no injury in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4844570 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 19 - A driver backing a sedan in Brooklyn hit a 24-year-old man with the car’s rear. He suffered an upper arm and shoulder injury. Police marked him injured. Police recorded contributing factors as Unspecified.

A driver in a sedan, reversing in Brooklyn, hit a 24-year-old male pedestrian with the rear center of the car. He suffered an upper arm and shoulder injury and was listed as injured. According to the police report, the car was backing at the time of impact and the point of impact was the center back end. Police recorded contributing factors as “Unspecified.” No damage to the vehicle was recorded. The crash was logged under collision ID 4843510 in the 72nd Precinct.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843510 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• Woman fatally struck by 18-wheeler truck in hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn, ABC7, Published 2025-09-19

Sep 18 - A northbound SUV driver wrecked the front end on 4th Avenue at 58th Street. The 75-year-old woman suffered a concussion and neck injury. Police recorded failure to keep right and distraction.

An SUV driver headed north on 4th Avenue at 58th Street around 9:40 p.m. The point of impact was the center front. The crash demolished the vehicle. A 75-year-old woman behind the wheel was semiconscious. She suffered a concussion and a neck injury. According to the police report, the driver failed to keep right and was inattentive and distracted. Police recorded those driver errors. No other road users were listed as injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843381 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 18 - A driver in an SUV turned right at 3 Ave and 42 St in Brooklyn and hit a northbound cyclist. The rider suffered a neck injury. Police recorded driver inexperience.

The driver of a northbound SUV turned right at 3 Ave and 42 St in Brooklyn at 8:46 a.m. He hit a northbound bicyclist who was going straight. The bicyclist, a 25-year-old man, was injured and reported neck pain and whiplash. According to the police report, both were traveling north. The SUV driver was making a right turn while the bicyclist was going straight. Police recorded Driver Inexperience by the driver. The report lists damage to the SUV’s right-side doors and impact to the bike’s center front. The rider was conscious at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843323 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 17 - Before dawn in Brooklyn, a driver in a Porsche SUV went straight and crashed on the Gowanus Expressway. The driver was hurt. Another occupant was listed with an unspecified injury. Police recorded no contributing factors.

At 4:30 a.m., a 31-year-old man driving a Porsche SUV north on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn went straight and crashed. He reported back pain and whiplash and was in shock. Another 31-year-old occupant was listed with an unspecified injury. According to the police report, the case involved a single vehicle with center-front damage. Police recorded no contributing factors for the driver; contributing factors were marked “Unspecified.” No pedestrians or cyclists were listed in the crash. The report lists the location as the Gowanus Expressway (BQE).

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843176 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 8 - Westbound on the Gowanus, a truck driver hit an SUV’s rear. Midday, straight ahead. One driver injured with a concussion and back pain. Police recorded driver inattention and following too closely.

Two westbound drivers collided on the Gowanus Expy (BQE) at 12:10 p.m. A truck driver hit the rear of an SUV. The truck sustained front-end damage; the SUV had rear-end damage. One driver, 39, was injured with a concussion and back pain. He was conscious and not ejected. "According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight ahead, and police recorded driver inattention/distraction and following too closely by the drivers." The crash involved a 2016 Hino box truck and a 2021 Lexus SUV. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841550 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• Brooklyn road rage attack: Man brutally stabbed over double-parked car, cops say, The Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-09-08

Sep 4 - A driver in an SUV went north on the Gowanus ramp and hit a flatbed stopped in traffic. Police recorded “View Obstructed/Limited.” One driver hurt. The SUV’s center front was damaged. The truck showed no damage.

A driver in an SUV, heading north on the Gowanus ramp, hit a flatbed whose driver was stopped in traffic. The SUV driver, 56, was injured with an arm abrasion. The other driver, 57, and another occupant were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the SUV was “Avoiding Object in Roadway” and the flatbed was “Stopped in Traffic.” Police recorded “View Obstructed/Limited.” The SUV showed center front damage; the flatbed showed none. The record lists no other contributing factors for either driver. This was a northbound ramp crash with limited sight lines noted by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839713 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 31 - A driver turned left improperly on 3 Ave at 38 St and hit a southbound sedan. A 27-year-old rear-seat passenger suffered head trauma and complained of pain or nausea. Police recorded Turning Improperly by the driver.

The driver of a Hyundai made a left turn across southbound traffic on 3 Ave at 38 St. The driver of a Chevrolet was traveling south, going straight. The driver of the Chevrolet hit the Hyundai's left-side doors with the Chevrolet's right front bumper. A 27-year-old female rear-seat passenger suffered a head injury and complained of pain or nausea. "According to the police report," the contributing factor was "Turning Improperly." Driver errors recorded include Turning Improperly. The injured passenger was not ejected and safety equipment was listed as Unknown. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838637 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 26 - Mayor Adams vetoed a council push to decriminalize street vending. Vendors clustered on the narrow Brooklyn Bridge walkway. Crowding squeezes pedestrians, collides with cyclists and strollers, and can impede emergency movement, raising crash and injury risk.

""There are immense barriers to entry for the often working-class and immigrant New Yorkers that populate our city as street vendors,"" -- Alexa Avilés

Bill: City Council package to decriminalize street vending (file number not provided). Status: vetoed by Mayor Eric Adams (veto reported last month). Committee: Committee on Immigration, chaired by Council Member Alexa Aviles. Key dates: vendors observed Aug. 25, 2025; story published Aug. 26, 2025. The article ran under the headline, "Defying a NYC ban, illegal vending thrives on iconic Brooklyn Bridge this summer." Adams issued the veto. Aviles and supporters pushed the decriminalization package and criticized enforcement barriers. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez warned vendors impede pedestrian mobility. Safety analysts note: illegal vending clusters on the narrow walkway, reduces pedestrian space, creates conflicts with cyclists and strollers, and can impede emergency movement—raising crash and injury risk.

• Defying a NYC ban, illegal vending thrives on iconic Brooklyn Bridge this summer, amny.com, Published 2025-08-26

Aug 16 - An SUV backed down 48th Street and struck a 56-year-old woman. She took a blow to the head. The street turned hard and small. The driver kept it in reverse. Brooklyn felt the weight.

A Toyota SUV, backing west on 48 St at 4 Ave in Brooklyn, struck a 56-year-old pedestrian, injuring her head. According to the police report, the crash involved “Backing Unsafely.” Data list driver errors as Backing Unsafely for the driver and vehicle occupants. The pedestrian was recorded as crossing with “No Signal, or Crosswalk,” but the cited contributing factor remains the driver’s unsafe backing. No other causes are listed. The SUV showed no damage; the driver was licensed. The report places the impact at the vehicle’s center back end and notes the pedestrian in shock.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835363 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 11 - Summer Streets expands. Streets close to cars for weekends. Crowds swell and bikes and feet fill the asphalt. The city dangles more, but the reach is small. Where cars vanish, walking and cycling flourish; most streets remain unchanged.

"The tallest subway station in NYC is finally getting an elevator. The Smith-9th St station in Gowanus is nearly 90' high. Soon, you'll be able to take an elevator to get there." -- Andrew Gounardes

File number: none. Status: statement, not legislation. Committee action: none. On August 11, 2025, David Meyer published a Streetsblog NYC piece and wrote, "Summer Streets is bigger and better than ever and New Yorkers are begging for more." There is no council bill or sponsor. Meyer praises the expansion while criticizing its limited scale. A safety analyst notes: "Expanding Summer Streets increases car-free space, encourages mode shift to walking and cycling, and demonstrates the safety and enjoyment possible with reduced vehicle traffic, supporting system-wide safety and equity for vulnerable road users." The car-free weekends run Aug. 16 in Manhattan and Aug. 23 in Brooklyn and the Bronx, showing safety gains that remain localized.

• Monday’s Headlines: All Hail Summer Streets Edition, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 11 - MTA will add elevators to Smith‑9th Street, ending a brutal 90‑foot climb. The change opens the station to seniors and people with disabilities. More transit riders may mean fewer cars, cutting pedestrian and cyclist exposure to traffic danger.

"the station will get elevators as part of the MTA's approved $68.4 billion capital plan for 2025-2029" -- Andrew Gounardes

Bill number: none — this is an MTA capital plan project. Status: announced Aug. 11, 2025. Committee: N/A. Key dates: funded in the MTA’s approved $68.4 billion 2025–2029 capital plan. The announcement quotes the article title: "Tall order: Smith-9th Streets subway station, city’s highest, to get elevators." State Sen. Andrew Gounardes said, “With elevators coming to the Smith-9th Street station, that’s finally going to change.” Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon praised the MTA for prioritizing accessibility. Safety analysts note: improved subway accessibility encourages mode shift from driving to transit, reducing pedestrian and cyclist exposure to traffic danger and supporting safer, more equitable streets.

• Tall order: Smith-9th Streets subway station, city’s highest, to get elevators, Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 11 - Elevators planned for Smith‑9th Street, NYC's tallest station. Stairs end. Riders with limited mobility win. NYCHA residents and seniors regain access to jobs and care. Project cuts forced walking or biking along hazardous routes and shifts trips onto public transit.

"the addition of elevators will make the subway accessible to all." -- Andrew Gounardes

Bill/file number: none. Status: MTA announced planned installation on August 11, 2025. Committee: none listed. BKReader ran the piece titled "Brooklyn’s Steepest Subway Stop to Get a Lift," noting "The MTA will install an elevator at the Smith-9th Street station." State Senator Andrew Gounardes praised the plan. Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon backed it. NYCHA leaders voiced support. MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo called the stop the clearest case for access. Installing elevators improves transit accessibility for people with mobility challenges, reducing reliance on walking or cycling along potentially hazardous routes and supporting an equitable, safe mode shift to public transit.

• Brooklyn’s Steepest Subway Stop to Get a Lift, BKReader, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 10 - State officials will add elevators to Smith-9th Street station, ending a brutal 90‑foot climb. The lifts expand access and push riders toward transit — cutting pedestrian and cyclist exposure to street car traffic and easing danger for vulnerable users.

Bill number: none. Status: included in the MTA's approved $68.4 billion Capital Plan for 2025–2029. Committee: N/A. Key date: announcement Aug 10, 2025. The matter: "New York City's tallest subway station, Smith-9th Street in Gowanus, Brooklyn, will soon have elevators, ending the difficult climb to the platform." State Sen. Andrew Gounardes led the announcement. Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon praised the move. MTA chief accessibility officer Quemuel Arroyo said the upgrades push system access past 50%. The MTA must meet a court settlement to make 95% of stations ADA-accessible by 2055. Improved subway accessibility encourages mode shift from driving to transit, reducing pedestrian and cyclist exposure to car traffic and supporting safer, more equitable streets for vulnerable users.

• Tall order: NYC’s tallest subway station to get elevators, putting accessibility on the ascent, Brooklyn Paper, Published 2025-08-10

Aug 8 - 4th Ave at 18th St. A driver in an SUV turned right and hit a southbound cyclist. The 40-year-old man suffered an arm abrasion. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver.

A driver in a 2020 SUV turned right at 18th St and hit a southbound cyclist on 4th Ave in Brooklyn. The cyclist, a 40-year-old man, suffered an arm injury with abrasions and was reported injured. According to the police report, 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' were recorded as contributing factors. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver. The SUV sustained right-side door damage; the bike had no reported damage. The crash time was 7:17 p.m. in the 72nd Precinct.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833611 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 4 - A car struck and dragged a man fifty feet on Broadway. He died at the scene. The driver fled. Police search for answers. Brooklyn leads the city in pedestrian injuries this year.

Gothamist (2025-08-04) reports a 47-year-old man was killed after being struck and dragged over 50 feet by a northbound car at Broadway and Suydam Street in Bushwick. The driver fled. Police have not released the victim's name and seek information on the vehicle. The article notes, 'It was not immediately clear whether the man was walking in a crosswalk, or who had the right of way.' Brooklyn has the highest number of pedestrian injuries in New York City so far this year, with 228 hurt and two killed through June. The case highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians and the persistent issue of hit-and-run drivers.

• Bushwick Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-04