Rockaway Bleeds While City Sleeps

• 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

Sep 15 - A westbound driver on Beach Channel Dr hit a 35-year-old man near Beach 101 St in Queens. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver. The man bled from an arm and hand. Morning rush. Another pedestrian down.

On Beach Channel Dr at Beach 101 St in Queens, a westbound driver going straight hit a 35-year-old man outside an intersection. The driver’s right front bumper made impact. The man suffered arm and hand injuries, bled, and was in shock. “According to the police report, police recorded Failure to Yield Right-of-Way by the driver.” The crash was logged at 8:19 a.m. The location falls within the 100th Precinct, ZIP 11694. It is recorded as collision ID 4842621. Vehicle type was not reported. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4842621 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

• 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

Aug 28 - Taxi and sedan drivers collided at Beach 75 St and Beach Channel Dr. The crash also hit a parked pickup. A front-seat passenger suffered a head contusion. Police recorded driver inattention and passenger distraction.

A taxi driver heading east on Beach Channel Dr and a westbound sedan driver crashed front to front at Beach 75 St in Arverne. The collision also damaged a parked pickup. A front passenger, 45, suffered a head contusion. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight and both points of impact were at the center front. Police recorded driver inattention/distraction by the drivers. They also recorded passenger distraction.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841117 - 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 8 - A driver in an SUV and a motorcyclist collided on Beach 67 at Rockaway Beach Blvd after each turned improperly. The 42-year-old rider suffered an arm abrasion and was conscious. Police recorded turning improperly by both drivers.

A collision on Beach 67 Street at Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens injured the lone motorcyclist. The driver of the motorcycle, a 42-year-old man, suffered an abrasion to his elbow/arm and remained conscious. The driver of the motorcycle had been making a left turn. The driver of the SUV had been making a right turn. According to the police report, both vehicles were "Turning Improperly" before the collision. Police recorded turning improperly by the drivers as contributing factors. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet. No other injuries or contributing factors were specified.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833828 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

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.

"signage as a 'small step' and 'low-hanging fruit,'" -- Donovan J. Richards

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 - Two sedans collided at Beach 69 Street and Thursby Avenue in Queens. Both drivers, women, were injured. Police listed glare and failure to yield right-of-way. Children were present in the vehicles. Morning light. Metal and pain.

"According to the police report," two drivers, both women, were injured when their sedans collided at Beach 69 Street and Thursby Avenue. One driver suffered shoulder and upper-arm injuries; the other suffered elbow and lower-arm injuries. Police listed "Glare" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as contributing factors. Both drivers were recorded as going straight ahead. Damage was recorded to the center front of one sedan and the right-side doors of the other. Children were reported to be present in the vehicles. The report does not list any pedestrians or cyclists as involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832304 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 27 - A driver in a sedan turned left and hit a 64-year-old woman at Beach 54 Street and Beach Channel Drive in Queens. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver. She suffered knee, lower leg, and foot injuries and was in shock.

A driver in a sedan made a left turn at Beach 54 Street and Beach Channel Drive in Queens. The driver hit a 64-year-old woman in the intersection. "According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way." Police recorded "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as the contributing factor. The left front bumper was the point of impact. The woman suffered injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot and was in shock at the scene. The driver was licensed and had no reported injuries. Another occupant was also uninjured. No other causes were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832019 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 25 - The driver of a sedan was hurt after rear-ending another sedan at Beach 69 Street and De Costa Avenue. He suffered elbow and arm injuries and shock. Police cited driver inattention and following too closely.

According to the police report, two sedans collided at Beach 69 Street and De Costa Avenue in Queens. The 21-year-old male driver of one sedan was injured, logged as elbow/lower arm/hand injuries and shock. A 58-year-old female driver in the other sedan was involved and not injured. Police recorded “Driver Inattention/Distraction” and “Following Too Closely” as contributing factors. The point of impact was center front end of the injured driver’s vehicle into the center back end of the other vehicle. The report notes air bag deployment and lap belt use. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832036 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02