Hollis Bleeds While City Waits: Slow the Cars, Save a Life

Sep 27 - A westbound sedan driver hit a 68-year-old man at 195 Place and Jamaica Ave in Queens. Head injury. Abrasions. The man stayed conscious. Police recorded driver inattention.

The driver of a westbound sedan hit a 68-year-old man at 195 Place and Jamaica Avenue in Queens. The man suffered a head injury and abrasions and remained conscious. According to the police report, police recorded "Driver Inattention/Distraction." The driver was going straight ahead. The point of impact was the left front bumper, with front-end damage noted. The driver, a 57-year-old man, and other listed occupants were recorded with unspecified injury status. The vehicle was registered in Pennsylvania and the driver held a Texas license. The record lists the pedestrian as at the intersection.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845816 - 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 10 - Westbound on Hillside near 204 St, a bus driver and a right-turning sedan driver collided. A 53-year-old passenger and a 51-year-old driver were hurt. Police noted front damage to the bus and right-side damage to the sedan.

On September 10, 2025, at 9:15 a.m., on Hillside Ave at 204 St in Queens, a bus driver traveling west collided with a sedan whose driver was making a right turn. A 53-year-old passenger was injured with a leg contusion. A 51-year-old driver reported whiplash. According to the police report, the bus had center-front damage and the sedan had right-side door damage. The report recorded contributing factors as “Unspecified” for the drivers.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841231 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Sep 1 - The driver of a 2023 Tesla made a U-turn on Hillside Ave and hit an eastbound e-bike. Two people on the e-bike were injured with abrasions to knee, lower leg, foot and face. Police recorded Turning Improperly and Following Too Closely.

"According to the police report, a 2023 Tesla sedan making a U-turn on Hillside Ave at 197 St struck an eastbound e-bike." The e-bike carried two people: a 35-year-old male driver and a 40-year-old female rear passenger. Both were injured and treated for abrasions to the knee, lower leg, foot and face. The report lists driver errors: Turning Improperly and Following Too Closely. Police noted impact to the e-bike’s center front end and to the Tesla’s left rear quarter panel. Vehicle positions and damage are consistent with a U-turn conflict initiated by the sedan driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838980 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 21 - A box truck and a sedan crashed at 205 St and Hillside Ave in Queens. A 56-year-old woman front passenger suffered knee and lower-leg injuries and complained of pain. Police recorded a center-front impact and no contributing factors.

A box truck and a sedan collided head-on at 205 St and Hillside Ave in Queens. A 56-year-old woman riding as a front passenger was injured, with knee, lower-leg and foot injuries and a complaint of pain or nausea. According to the police report, both vehicles were "Going Straight Ahead" and the point of impact was "Center Front End," with no contributing factors recorded. Both drivers are listed as licensed. The report notes other occupants with unspecified injuries but records no listed driver errors such as Failure to Yield or Distraction.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838101 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 19 - The driver of a pickup turned left from 204 Street onto Jamaica Avenue and hit a westbound SUV. Two drivers were injured. Police recorded "Traffic Control Disregarded." Reported complaints included whiplash, neck pain, and shoulder trauma.

A southbound pickup driver made a left turn from 204 Street onto Jamaica Avenue and struck a westbound SUV. The driver of the pickup, a 28-year-old man, reported neck injury and whiplash. The driver of the SUV, a 54-year-old woman, reported shoulder and upper-arm trauma and whiplash. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Traffic Control Disregarded." Police listed that driver error as the recorded contributing factor. The pickup struck with its left front bumper; the SUV took impact to its center front end. Both drivers were not ejected and were recorded as injured in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836476 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to use a compliance checklist and levy maximum fines on unlicensed commuter vans. Punitive enforcement may cut informal transit, push riders to cars and ride‑hail, and raise vehicle volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill: Int 1347-2025. Status: Sponsorship; sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced and referred August 14, 2025. The matter: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams; co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, and Chris Banks. The law orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a checklist and requires officers to issue maximum fines for each violation. It takes effect 120 days after enactment. A safety assessment warns this punitive approach may reduce informal transit in underserved areas, shift trips to private cars and ride‑hail, and increase traffic volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists; it adds policing without system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to cite unlicensed commuter vans and levy maximum fines. It will likely shrink shared rides in transit deserts. Trips will shift to private cars and ride-hail. Pedestrians and cyclists face more exposure on the street.

Int 1347-2025 is at SPONSORSHIP and sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on August 14, 2025. The matter is titled, "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams introduced the bill. Co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, Chris Banks, and Farah N. Louis joined her. The bill orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a compliance checklist and requires officers to issue maximum penalties for every listed violation. Analysts warn punitive enforcement and steep fines will likely reduce shared transit options in transit deserts, push trips to private cars and ride-hail, and increase traffic exposure for pedestrians and cyclists, prioritizing policing over safer operations or street redesign without clear system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

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 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 4 - The driver of an SUV struck a 30-year-old motorized scooter rider at 104 Ave and 199 St in Queens. The scooter rider suffered facial and internal injuries and remained conscious. Police recorded 'Traffic Control Disregarded.'

The driver of an SUV traveling east struck a motorized scooter traveling north at 104 Ave and 199 St in Queens. The scooter rider, a 30-year-old man, was injured. He suffered facial and internal injuries and remained conscious. According to the police report, 'Traffic Control Disregarded' was listed as a contributing factor. The SUV's right front bumper struck the scooter's center front end. Police listed the driver error as Traffic Control Disregarded in the crash record.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832843 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 3 - A driver in a sedan hit a 15-year-old on a motorized scooter at 195 St and Jamaica Ave. The boy suffered a head bruise. Police recorded driver inattention.

A driver in a 2008 Hyundai sedan crashed into a 15-year-old riding a motorized scooter at 195 St and Jamaica Ave in Queens. The teen suffered a head contusion and bruising. According to the police report, both vehicles were traveling straight before the collision. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. Police also listed Driver Inattention/Distraction for the teen rider. An 83-year-old occupant was involved; injuries were not specified. The crash occurred at 3:44 p.m. The sedan showed front-end damage; the scooter's right side was hit.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832619 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

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