South Richmond Hill: Four Dead, No More Excuses

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

Sep 21 - A driver was arraigned on manslaughter and assault charges after a hit-and-run killed an on-duty construction flag worker on the Nassau Expressway. Prosecutors say the case seeks accountability for dangerous driving; the worker did not survive.

"A driver who allegedly ran down a safety flag worker at a construction site in Queens last week, killing her, was arraigned on manslaughter and a list of other charges, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Sunday." -- Melinda R. Katz

This is not a council bill. Matter: "Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway." Event date: 2025-09-21. Status: defendant Daveanand Budhai arraigned on second-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault charges after the fatal collision. Queens District Attorney Melinda R. Katz announced the indictment and pushed for prosecution. No council committee or councilmember sponsorship applies; Barbara Russo-Lennon is listed as the reporting source. Safety impact: prosecutors say accountability can deter dangerous driving — "Prosecuting a hit-and-run driver signals accountability for dangerous driving, which can deter similar behavior and support a culture of safety for vulnerable road users. However, without complementary infrastructure or systemic changes, the impact is likely modest."

• Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway, AMNY, Published 2025-09-21

• 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

Sep 16 - On 101 Ave at 109 St in Queens, a box-truck driver backed and collided with an SUV going straight. The SUV driver, 52, suffered whiplash. Police recorded Backing Unsafely.

Two vehicles collided on 101 Ave at 109 St in Queens. A box-truck driver was backing. An SUV driver was traveling straight west. The SUV driver, a 52-year-old man, reported neck pain and whiplash. "According to the police report, officers recorded Backing Unsafely in the crash." Both vehicles were listed with rear-center damage. NYPD data shows both drivers were licensed. No other injuries were recorded in the dataset. The crash was logged at 4:00 p.m. The truck was a 2019 Freightliner box truck. The SUV was a 2024 Mazda. The record places the crash in the 102nd Precinct area. Collision ID 4843112.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843112 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• 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 - A driver in a Jeep SUV hit the back of a 67-year-old e-bike rider at 120 St and 95 Ave in Queens at 9:20 p.m. The rider went down, stayed conscious, and hurt his arm. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver.

On September 1, 2025, at about 9:20 p.m., a driver in a 2023 Jeep SUV, traveling north on 120 St, went straight and hit the back of a westbound e-bike at 95 Ave in Queens. The crash injured a 67-year-old bicyclist, who was conscious with an arm contusion and was partially ejected. According to the police report, police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. The e-bike had center back-end damage; the SUV had center front-end damage. Both were reported as going straight ahead. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839915 - 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 - A driver in an SUV and a motorcyclist collided at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. The motorcycle driver, 35, was injured — knee, lower leg and foot contusion. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction and Traffic Control Disregarded.

A driver in an SUV collided with a motorcycle at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. One motorcyclist was hurt. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' are listed as contributing factors. The injured person is a 35-year-old male motorcycle driver, conscious and not ejected, with injury to the knee, lower leg and foot and a contusion. Vehicle records show center front end damage to the motorcycle and left rear quarter panel damage to the SUV. The report logs the crash at 17:00 and lists the involved vehicle types as SUV and motorcycle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834053 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 6 - A horse named Lady died in Hell's Kitchen. Photos reignited calls to ban carriages. The City Council stalled. Unions and leaders blocked hearings. Advocates warned of more injuries. Analysts say the ban would have minimal direct effect on pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill 2025, proposed to ban horse-drawn carriages, remained stalled as of August 6, 2025. The measure sits in the City Council health committee chaired by Lynn C. Schulman. Queens Councilman Robert F. Holden is the bill's sponsor. Speaker Adrienne Adams has not publicly taken a position. The article ran under the headline "Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages." Advocates rallied and warned, "without a ban there will be more crashes, injuries, and possibly deaths." TWU Local 100 opposes the ban. The proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages may have minimal direct impact on pedestrian and cyclist safety, as these vehicles are a small share of street traffic; the primary safety risks for vulnerable road users stem from motor vehicles and street design.

• Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages, Crain's New York Business, Published 2025-08-06

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 22 - SUV hit a 17-year-old cyclist on 127th Street. The teen was thrown, injured his arm. Police cite failure to yield and driver distraction. The street stayed open. The system failed the rider.

A 17-year-old bicyclist was struck and injured by an SUV making a left turn on 127th Street at 101st Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The teen cyclist suffered arm abrasions and was partially ejected from his bike. The SUV driver, a 60-year-old man, was not reported injured. The report lists no helmet or signaling issues for the cyclist. The crash highlights the danger when drivers fail to yield and pay attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4829927 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 16 - The driver of a taxi disregarded traffic control and hit a cyclist on 95 Ave near the Van Wyck Expressway. The 29-year-old man suffered a contusion to his knee and lower leg. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver.

A taxi and a bicycle collided on 95 Ave near the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens. The driver of a taxi hit a 29-year-old male cyclist. The cyclist was treated for a contusion to his knee and lower leg. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' Both the taxi and the bicycle were traveling straight when the taxi struck the cyclist; the report lists the taxi's center front end and the bike's left side doors as points of impact. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver as a contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4828317 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and double-park in bus lanes. More vehicles in bus lanes mean more risk for people walking, biking, and waiting at curbs. Danger grows where curb chaos reigns.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since July 14, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...exempting ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allowing them to double park to assist passengers,' would let ambulettes drive, stop, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Council Member Julie Menin sponsors, joined by Linda Lee, Frank Morano, Eric Dinowitz, Lynn C. Schulman, Kamillah Hanks, Carlina Rivera, and Chris Banks. Allowing more vehicles to double-park and block bus lanes increases risk for pedestrians and cyclists at the curb. The city’s most vulnerable will face more conflict and less safe space.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14

Jul 9 - A driver making a left turn hit a 35-year-old woman crossing with the signal at 101 Ave and 112 St in Queens. She suffered a contusion to her lower leg and remained conscious. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver.

A driver making a left turn struck a 35-year-old woman who was crossing 101 Ave at 112 St with the pedestrian signal. According to the police report, "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" was listed as the driver's contributing factor. The vehicle's pre-crash action is recorded as making a left turn and the point of impact was the center front end. The pedestrian suffered a contusion to the knee/lower leg/foot and was conscious after the collision. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver. The report notes no vehicle damage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4827203 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02