Third Avenue: Two Miles, Too Many Graves

Senate backs S 4804. The bill sets first responder safety zones and lowers speed limits. Lawmakers move to shield workers on chaotic streets. The vote is swift. The intent is clear. Danger zones get new rules.

Senate bill S 4804, titled 'Relates to establishing first responder safety zones and setting speed limits in such safety zones,' passed committee on April 29, 2025, and cleared the full Senate on May 6, 2025. Sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan (District 50) with co-sponsors Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Pamela Helming, Robert Rolison, and William Weber, the bill aims to carve out protected zones for first responders and enforce lower speed limits in those areas. The measure won broad support, with nearly all senators voting yes. The bill targets the chaos and risk drivers pose to workers and bystanders at emergency scenes. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 4804, Open States, Published 2025-05-06

A principal drove down Lenox Road, lost control, hit parked cars, and flipped his vehicle. Police pulled him from the wreck. He refused a Breathalyzer. Charges followed. The street bore the scars. The system let him drive. The danger stayed.

According to NY Daily News (2025-05-06), Gregory Jackson, principal of Brownsville Collaborative Middle School, crashed on Lenox Road near Utica Ave. Police say he struck several parked cars and overturned his vehicle around 11:30 p.m. Jackson told police he had 'only one drink.' He refused a Breathalyzer test at the scene. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while impaired, and refusing the test. The Department of Education referred questions to the NYPD. The incident highlights the ongoing risk posed by impaired drivers and the vulnerability of anyone near city streets, even when parked. Systemic gaps allow such danger to persist.

• Principal Overturns Car In Brooklyn Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-06

A sedan flipped on 4th Ave, smashing into parked cars. One driver hurt, back pain, shock. No clear cause named. Metal twisted. Streets left scarred.

A sedan overturned on 4th Ave at 19th St in Brooklyn, crashing into three parked sedans. According to the police report, a 33-year-old female driver suffered back pain and shock. Four other occupants were listed with unspecified injuries. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The overturned sedan struck parked vehicles, damaging their rear and side panels. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. No helmet or signal issues were noted. The cause remains unspecified in the police data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4811225 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan struck a 14-year-old e-scooter rider on 44th Street. The teen was ejected and injured. Driver inattention and improper lane use played a role. Impact was hard and direct.

A 14-year-old e-scooter rider was injured after a collision with a sedan on 44th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when the crash occurred. The teen was ejected and suffered a head injury. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. The sedan driver was licensed and uninjured. The e-scooter rider was not using safety equipment. The crash highlights the danger when drivers fail to pay attention and use lanes properly.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4811112 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan hit an e-bike on 52nd Street. The e-bike rider suffered a bruised leg. Police cite failure to yield and driver inattention. Streets remain dangerous for those outside cars.

A sedan making a left turn struck an e-bike traveling straight on 52nd Street in Brooklyn. The 25-year-old e-bike rider was injured, suffering a contusion to the leg. According to the police report, both 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' contributed to the crash. The sedan's front end hit the e-bike's left side. No injuries were reported for the sedan driver or other occupants. The report lists driver errors as primary factors in the collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809897 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Box truck struck sedan from behind on Gowanus Expressway. Two women suffered back injuries and concussions. Police cite following too closely as cause. Metal, glass, pain. System failed to protect.

A box truck rear-ended a sedan on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn. Two women, the sedan's driver and front passenger, suffered back injuries and concussions. According to the police report, 'Following Too Closely' was listed as the main contributing factor. The truck's front end hit the sedan's rear, causing injury and damage. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report notes both injured occupants wore lap belts. The crash highlights the danger of close following and heavy vehicles on city highways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809793 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Two cars collided at unsafe speed on 4th Avenue. One driver suffered neck injury. Police cite speed and traffic control ignored. Passengers shaken. Metal and glass, sudden stop, shock.

A sedan and an SUV crashed at 4th Avenue and 25th Street in Brooklyn. One driver, a 22-year-old man, suffered a neck injury and shock. Four others were listed as occupants, with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' Both vehicles showed front-end damage. These driver errors are central to the collision. Lap belts and harnesses were used by some occupants, as noted after the driver errors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809461 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council passes law. Taxis and for-hire cars must post bold warnings on rear doors. Riders face the message: look for cyclists before swinging the door. A move to cut dooring. City acts. Cyclists stay in the crosshairs.

Int 0193-2024, now law, cleared the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and passed City Council on May 1, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law...requiring taxis and for-hire vehicles to display a decal warning passengers to look for cyclists when opening the door,' demands clear warning signs on all rear passenger doors. Lincoln Restler led as primary sponsor, joined by Gutiérrez, Hudson, Rivera, Won, and others. The Taxi and Limousine Commission must provide decals at no cost. The law aims to fight dooring, a threat to cyclists citywide. Enacted May 31, 2025, it takes effect in 120 days.

• File Int 0193-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-05-01

Council Member Yusef Salaam pushes a resolution urging Albany to force repeat speeders to install speed governors. Families of crash victims and advocates rally behind the move. The bill targets drivers with six or more tickets. Support grows after deadly crashes.

On April 30, 2025, Council Member Yusef Salaam, Chair of the Committee on Public Safety, introduced a City Council resolution supporting New York State Senate Bill S7621. The bill, now pending, would let courts require drivers with six or more automated speeding tickets in a year to install speed limiter devices. Salaam’s resolution, co-sponsored by five council members, urges Albany to act. The matter title: 'Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers.' Salaam said, 'It's very simple: it's to save lives.' The hearing drew families of crash victims and advocates like Amy Cohen and Darnell Sealy-McCrorey, who lost loved ones to reckless drivers. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and other officials back the measure. Salaam’s leadership signals growing momentum for the first bill of its kind in the country.

• Council Member Yusef Salaam Throws Support Behind Albany Push To Rein In Speeding Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-04-30

A stolen Porsche sped through Brooklyn. Police set a trap. The driver tried to break through, nearly hitting an officer. A shot rang out. The car crashed. The driver died. The passenger survived. The street bore the cost.

According to the New York Post (April 30, 2025), police shot and killed the driver of a stolen Porsche after he "nearly struck an NYPD officer" while attempting to evade a roadblock near the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. Officers first noticed the vehicle due to stolen plates and tried to pull it over on Cropsey Avenue. The driver fled, leading police to set up a blockade. As the car tried to pass, an officer fired one round, striking the driver. The wounded man crashed into a police car and was later pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital. The passenger was unharmed and taken into custody. The incident highlights the risks of high-speed chases and roadblocks in dense urban areas, where bystanders and officers face sudden danger.

• Police Shoot Driver At Brooklyn Roadblock, New York Post, Published 2025-04-30

SUV slammed into stopped car on 51st Street. Passenger struck her head. Police cite following too closely. Brooklyn night, metal and glass, pain and sirens.

A crash on 51st Street in Brooklyn left a female passenger injured when an SUV rear-ended another SUV stopped in traffic. According to the police report, the collision occurred when one vehicle was 'Following Too Closely.' The impact caused head injury and whiplash to the front passenger. The report lists 'Following Too Closely' as the driver error. No other contributing factors were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809898 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan hit a 76-year-old woman on 39th Street in Brooklyn. She suffered a back injury. Police cite 'Other Vehicular' as a factor. The street saw pain and shock. Metal met flesh. The city moved on.

A 76-year-old woman was injured in a crash involving a sedan on 39th Street near 3rd Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the crash involved a Toyota sedan traveling west and resulted in a back injury to the elderly driver, who was left in shock. The report lists 'Other Vehicular' as a contributing factor. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The police report does not specify further details about the cause, but the listed factor points to a vehicle-related issue. No helmet or signal use is mentioned.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808826 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-28

Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-28

A sedan slammed into another’s rear on the Gowanus Expressway. One driver suffered neck whiplash. Police cite following too closely. Metal, glass, pain. Brooklyn traffic grinds on.

Two sedans collided on the Gowanus Expressway in Brooklyn. One driver, age 25, was injured with neck whiplash. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Following Too Closely.' Both vehicles were traveling straight when the front of one sedan struck the back of the other. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The police report lists no other contributing factors. The injured driver was wearing a lap belt. The other occupants were not reported injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4808656 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan merged into a motorcycle on Gowanus Ramp. The rider was hurt. Police cite driver inattention. Metal twisted. Bodies thrown. Danger rides the ramp.

A crash on the Gowanus Ramp in Brooklyn involved a sedan and a motorcycle. The motorcycle rider, a 41-year-old man, was injured across his entire body. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' was a contributing factor. The sedan was merging when it struck the motorcycle, which was going straight. The motorcycle was demolished. The rider wore a helmet, as noted in the report. No pedestrians were involved. The toll: one injured, metal wrecked, another night of danger on city roads.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809212 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

E-scooter struck a 12-year-old girl on Fourth Avenue. She suffered facial bruises. Police cite driver inattention and failure to yield. Streets remain perilous for Brooklyn’s young pedestrians.

A 12-year-old girl was injured when an e-scooter struck her as she got on or off a vehicle near 647 Fourth Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the girl suffered a facial contusion and was conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly led to the collision. No helmet or signal issues were cited. The crash highlights ongoing risks for children navigating city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807912 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24

Council pushes Albany to force speed limiters on chronic speeders. The move targets reckless drivers. Streets stay deadly while the bill sits in committee. Pedestrians and cyclists wait for action.

Resolution 0854-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, urges passage of S.7621/A.7979. The measure calls for 'requiring the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices for repeated violation of maximum speed limits.' Council Member Lincoln Restler leads, joined by nine co-sponsors including Yusef Salaam and Shahana Hanif. The bill landed in committee on April 24, 2025, with no vote yet. If passed at the state level, it would force repeat speeders to install devices that block speeding. The Council’s action highlights the ongoing risk to vulnerable road users as reckless drivers remain unchecked.

• File Res 0854-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-04-24