No More Dead Ends: Demand Safe Streets Now

Sep 27 - Merging SUV driver hit a northbound sedan on 164 Street at the Long Island Expressway in Queens at 8:00 p.m. Police recorded unsafe lane changing and improper lane use by drivers. An 18-year-old rear passenger was injured.

An SUV driver merging north on 164 Street at the Long Island Expressway in Queens hit a northbound sedan at 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2025. The sedan’s left-side doors took the impact; the SUV’s right front quarter was damaged. An 18-year-old rear passenger in the sedan was injured with a shoulder bruise and remained conscious. According to the police report, the SUV driver was merging while the sedan was going straight ahead. Police recorded Unsafe Lane Changing and Passing or Lane Usage Improper by drivers. Both drivers were licensed. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported injured. The crash involved a 2017 Hyundai SUV and a 2012 Toyota sedan, both registered in New York.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845461 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• Motorcyclist killed in multiple collisions on Long Island Expressway, NYPD says, Gothamist, Published 2025-09-26

• Woman killed after being pinned under car while crossing Queens intersection, ABC7, Published 2025-09-21

• Female construction worker killed on Queens job site, hit-and-run driver arrested, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-20

• Man struck and killed by two vehicles while trying to cross Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park: NYPD, amny, Published 2025-09-16

• Suspect in deadly DWI crash sexually harassed teen before intentionally striking her with SUV, Queens DA says, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-15

• 16-year-old girl struck and killed in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Sep 1 - The driver of a 2010 Lexus sedan disregarded traffic control and struck a 14‑year‑old boy on a bicycle on 73 Ave at 197 St in Queens. The boy suffered whole‑body abrasions and remained conscious. Police recorded Traffic Control Disregarded.

According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Traffic Control Disregarded." The driver of a 2010 Lexus sedan was traveling north on 73 Avenue, going straight, when he struck a 14-year-old male bicyclist at 197 Street in Queens. The bicyclist suffered whole-body abrasions, reported pain across his body, and remained conscious at the scene. Police noted center-front damage to the Lexus consistent with a direct impact. Driver error recorded in the report is Traffic Control Disregarded. The record lists the bicyclist as injured; no vehicle occupants are recorded as injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838981 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 30 - Two eastbound SUVs slowed on Horace Harding. One closed too fast. Metal kissed bumpers. Both drivers hurt. One lost consciousness. Following too closely wrote the script.

Two eastbound SUVs collided near 190-02 Horace Harding Expy in Queens. Both vehicles were slowing or stopping. Two male drivers were injured; one reported pain, the other was unconscious with arm injuries. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Following Too Closely.” The impact landed on the Ford’s right front bumper and the Jeep’s left rear, consistent with a rear-end strike. These driver errors—Following Too Closely—are cited for involved parties. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed in the data. No helmet or signal issues were recorded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838798 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 29 - An SUV turned off Francis Lewis onto the LIE. Impact to the left front. Airbags popped. The passenger took a head hit and bruised. The driver burned. Night, Queens. Metal wins. Flesh pays.

A Ford SUV, traveling south and making a right turn from Francis Lewis Boulevard toward the Long Island Expressway, struck with its left front bumper. A front-seat passenger suffered a head injury and a driver sustained a minor burn. According to the police report, contributing factors for both occupants were listed as “Unspecified.” The vehicle was making a right turn, and the point of impact was the left front bumper, indicating a turning crash. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported. Driver errors explicitly listed are limited to Unspecified; no other contributing factors were recorded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838450 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 15 - The driver of a sedan turned right and hit a standing motorized rider at 75 Ave and 181 St. The 26-year-old rider was ejected, suffered a head injury, and was semiconscious with minor bleeding. Two small children were in the car and reported unhurt.

According to the police report, 'View Obstructed/Limited' was listed as a contributing factor. The driver of a 2021 Mercedes sedan made a right turn on 75 Ave at 181 St and struck a standing motorized rider. The 26-year-old rider was ejected, suffered a head injury, was semiconscious, and had minor bleeding. Police recorded the point of impact as the sedan's right front quarter panel and the sedan's pre-crash action as Making Right Turn. The sedan carried three occupants; two young children in the car were recorded with no reported injuries. No other contributing driver violations are listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835294 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 12 - A car tore through an Astoria intersection. It struck a food truck. Two men died on the sidewalk. The driver died too. Metal, flesh, coffee, blood. The street swallowed them. It happened fast. No one stood a chance.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-12), an 84-year-old driver sped through 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, crashing into a food truck and killing two customers and himself. Surveillance showed the car "going about 60 miles an hour" before impact. The article quotes a witness: "Someone screamed really loudly, and I just had stepped back, like right up to the sidewalk." The force severed a victim's foot. The crash highlights the lethal risk when drivers lose control at high speed in pedestrian zones. No charges were filed; the driver died at the scene.

• Speeding Car Slams Food Truck, Kills Two, New York Post, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 11 - Astoria shopkeepers fight a protected bike lane on 31st Street. They claim city plans threaten their business and public safety. The lawsuit lands in Queens Supreme Court. The city faces pushback, progress stalls.

NY1 reported on August 11, 2025, that over a dozen Astoria business owners filed suit to block a protected bike lane on 31st Street. The petition, lodged in Queens Supreme Court, claims the redesign from 36th Avenue to Newton Avenue would 'hurt their day-to-day operations and jeopardize public safety.' Owners accuse the city of acting in an 'arbitrary and capricious' way, moving forward despite objections. The case highlights ongoing tension between street safety projects and local business concerns. The outcome could shape future protected bike lane installations citywide.

• Astoria Businesses Sue Over Bike Lane, NY1, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 8 - Flash floods swamped Cross Island Parkway. Leaders demanded flood signage and storm fixes. Signs may warn drivers but do little for pedestrians and cyclists. Only real infrastructure will cut the risks they face.

"called for city, state, and federal agencies to act and criticized the Trump administration for cutting federal funding for flood protection." -- John Liu

Action: infrastructure request (no bill number). Status: public call on August 8, 2025; not advanced to committee or vote. The matter was described as a "call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts." Queens Borough President Donovan J. Richards called signage a "small step" and "low-hanging fruit." Council Member Vickie Paladino urged signs to warn drivers unfamiliar with the area. State Sen. John Liu pressed city, state and federal agencies and criticized federal funding cuts. Safety analyst note: "Flood warning signage may help alert motorists but does little to address the underlying risks to pedestrians and cyclists... only comprehensive infrastructure improvements would yield significant safety benefits for vulnerable road users."

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 5 - Police car struck at Beach 35th and Rockaway. Three hurt. Sirens cut through Edgemere. Cause unknown. Streets stained. Investigation begins.

CBS New York reported on August 5, 2025, that an NYPD cruiser crashed at Beach 35th Street and Rockaway Freeway in Edgemere, Queens. Three people were injured. The article states, 'Police are now trying to determine the cause of the crash.' No details on driver actions or contributing factors were released. The incident highlights risks at busy intersections and the need for thorough investigation when emergency vehicles are involved.

• NYPD Cruiser Crash Injures Three In Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-08-05

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man in Ozone Park. The driver fled, then turned himself in. Police say the crash followed a heated confrontation. The victim died at Jamaica Hospital.

ABC7 reported on August 1, 2025, that a 23-year-old man died after being hit by a car at 101st Avenue and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. Police said the incident followed a domestic dispute. The driver, who was the woman's current boyfriend, told police the victim approached his car "while flashing what appeared to be a gun" and was struck as the driver tried to leave. The driver later went to the police. No charges had been filed as of publication, with the district attorney still reviewing the case. The crash highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used during conflicts.

• Man Killed By Car In Queens Dispute, ABC7, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 31 - Water rose fast. Cars stranded. People climbed roofs to escape. Rescue teams pulled them out. Rain hammered Queens. The road drowned, then cleared. Danger came quick. Relief came late.

ABC7 reported on July 31, 2025, that flash flooding trapped drivers on the Clearview Expressway in Queens. Video showed people perched atop cars, waiting for rescue. A witness described, "10 feet deep, people sitting on top of cars, 6 or 7." Mayor Eric Adams declared a localized State of Emergency. The flooding left vehicles stranded and forced emergency response. The article highlights the risk of sudden, severe weather overwhelming city infrastructure, stranding vulnerable road users in harm’s way.

• Flash Flood Traps Cars On Expressway, ABC7, Published 2025-07-31

Jul 29 - City and business leaders back a $3 million study to overhaul 14th Street. The plan aims to carve out space for walkers, bikers, and buses. Cars lose ground. Streets grow safer. The city bets on change.

On July 29, 2025, Christopher Bonanos reported a sweeping proposal to remake 14th Street. No council bill number or committee is listed. The Adams administration, local BIDs, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation pledged $3 million for a 24-month study. The plan, described as 'transformative' and 'generational,' aims to create a 'complete street' for pedestrians, cyclists, delivery workers, and transit. Mayor Eric Adams and city officials support the move. According to safety analysts, such overhauls, especially when led by city and business groups, often yield safer, more equitable streets for vulnerable users.

• Everyone Wants to Fix 14th Street, New York Magazine - Curbed, Published 2025-07-29

Jul 18 - A speeding sedan hit two teen cyclists at 61-24 190 St. Both boys were hurt. Police cite unsafe speed and traffic control ignored. Metal met flesh. The street did not forgive.

Two teenage boys riding a bike were struck by a sedan at 61-24 190 St in Queens. Both cyclists, ages 14 and 15, suffered injuries. According to the police report, the crash involved unsafe speed and disregard for traffic control. The sedan, driven by a 39-year-old woman, hit the cyclists as both vehicles went straight. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. Neither cyclist wore safety equipment, but the primary causes remain driver error. The crash left bruises and pain. The street became a site of harm.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4828474 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 17 - The driver of a box truck rear-ended a sedan on the Long Island Expressway. Three people in the sedan were injured, including the driver. The sedan’s rear was crushed and the truck’s front was damaged.

According to the police report, both vehicles were traveling east and going straight ahead when the collision occurred. The driver of a box truck hit the center rear of a sedan. The sedan’s rear was crushed and the truck’s center front was damaged. Three people in the sedan were injured: a 37-year-old female driver with shoulder and upper-arm injuries, a 31-year-old male front passenger with hip and upper-leg injuries, and an 18-year-old female rear passenger with injuries to her entire body. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4828257 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02