Bay Ridge Bleeds—City Shrugs. Demand Action Before Another Family Mourns.

Senator Palumbo, once wary, now backs the Stop Super Speeders bill. The measure targets repeat speeders with court-ordered limiters. Twenty-one percent of fatal pedestrian crashes involve such drivers. Speed limiters cut deaths by over a third. Action, not talk.

On May 16, 2025, the New York State Senate debated the Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2029), which requires speed-limiting devices for drivers with six or more speed-camera violations in a year. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, aims to curb reckless driving. Initially, Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-Suffolk) opposed the measure, citing concerns about government overreach and enforcement. He compared it to ignition locks for drunk drivers, which he supports. After discussion with Gounardes, Palumbo shifted, supporting the bill if it meets its goal. The bill’s summary states it targets repeat speeders with court orders and misdemeanor charges for non-compliance. Data shows 21 percent of fatal pedestrian crashes in NYC involve vehicles with six or more camera tickets in the prior year. Speed limiters have been shown to reduce traffic deaths by 37 percent. Palumbo now signals willingness to take strong action against reckless drivers.

• How One Anti-Gov’t Republican Signed onto a Street Safety Bill to Rein in Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-16

State Sen. Palumbo, once wary of government reach, now supports speed-limiting devices for repeat speeders. The bill targets drivers with six or more violations. Debate follows a fatal crash. Lawmakers clash, then unite. Vulnerable lives hang in the balance.

On May 16, 2025, State Sen. Anthony Palumbo, Republican from Suffolk, changed course on the Stop Super Speeders bill (S4045/A2029). The bill, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would require speed-limiting devices in cars of drivers with six or more speed-camera violations in a year. Palumbo first called the measure 'government overreach,' preferring license suspensions. After debate and a detailed comparison to ignition locks for drunk drivers, Palumbo agreed to support the bill if it meets its goal. Gounardes explained, 'We mimicked the ignition lock process and procedure.' The bill gained momentum after a deadly crash. According to the safety analyst, the event text does not describe a specific policy or legislative action affecting pedestrians or cyclists, so no safety impact can be determined.

• How One Anti-Gov’t Republican Signed onto a Street Safety Bill to Rein in Reckless Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-16

A car struck Larry Maxwell, 72, on Sutter Avenue. The driver had just crashed into another vehicle and fled. Maxwell died at Brookdale Hospital. The driver did not stop. Police are still searching. No arrests. The street stayed quiet.

NY Daily News reported on May 15, 2025, that Larry Maxwell, 72, was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The article states, “An elderly man was mowed down and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Brooklyn on May 10, just seconds after the same driver smashed into a nearby vehicle.” The driver first collided with a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu, then continued on and struck Maxwell near Sutter Ave. and Osborn St. The Malibu’s occupants were uninjured and remained at the scene. The driver who killed Maxwell fled and remains unidentified. The NYPD Highway District collision investigation squad is investigating. No arrests have been made. The case highlights the lethal risk of fleeing drivers and the ongoing challenge of enforcement.

• Hit-And-Run Driver Kills Brooklyn Elder, NY Daily News, Published 2025-05-15

Senate Republicans forced a vote on S533 to repeal congestion pricing. Democrats may let it advance with a hollow 'Aye Without Recommendation.' Meanwhile, the Idaho Stop bill, which could save cyclists’ lives, remains stalled. NYPD cracks down on riders. Cyclists keep dying.

On May 13, 2025, the Senate Transportation Committee considered S533, a bill to repeal congestion pricing, after a procedural motion by Sen. Jack Martins. Committee Chair Jeremy Cooney was compelled to place it on the agenda. Democrats may use 'Aye Without Recommendation' to let the bill advance without clear support. A watchdog coalition, including Reinvent Albany and Bike New York, called the bill 'contrary to notions of basic fairness.' The same day, activists lobbied for the Idaho Stop bill (S639/A7071), sponsored by Sen. Rachel May and Assembly Member Karen McMahon. The bill would let cyclists treat red lights as stop signs and stop signs as yield signs, a move proven to reduce injuries. Despite support, the bill remains blocked. NYPD continues harsh enforcement against cyclists, who make up a small share of city trips but receive a disproportionate number of tickets. Cyclist deaths keep rising.

• How the Sausage Gets Made: Republicans Force Meaningless Vote on Congestion Pricing Repeal, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-05-13

A runaway sedan struck a stopped SUV on 85th Street. One woman suffered a head injury. Police report lists driverless vehicle as the cause. Streets remain dangerous for those inside and out.

A sedan and an SUV collided on 85th Street near 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. One woman, age 59, suffered a head injury and concussion. According to the police report, the crash involved a 'Driverless/Runaway Vehicle.' The sedan was unlicensed and under police pursuit before impact. The SUV was stopped in traffic when hit. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed as injured. The report highlights the danger of runaway vehicles and the chaos unleashed when control is lost.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4811321 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

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

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

Three drivers hurt in a tangle of SUVs and a truck on 65th Street. Traffic control ignored. Metal twisted. Pain followed. System failed to protect.

Three vehicles crashed at 65th Street and 5th Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, two SUVs and a truck collided. Three drivers, ages 22, 58, and 67, suffered neck and back injuries. Two children and two adults were also involved. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Other Vehicular' as contributing factors. Driver errors led to injury and chaos. No mention of helmet or signal use. The crash highlights the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4810617 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

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

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

Two SUVs collided on 68th Street in Brooklyn. One driver lost consciousness. Three people hurt. Metal twisted. Pain followed. The street bore the mark of impact.

Two station wagons collided on 68th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a driver lost consciousness, causing the crash. Three people were injured: a 40-year-old male driver, a 53-year-old male driver, and a 47-year-old male passenger. The report lists 'Lost Consciousness' as the contributing factor. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The injured wore lap belts and harnesses. The crash left pain and damage in its wake.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4807897 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Council bill orders NYPD to check temp plates and VINs. Cops must publish parking enforcement reports. Bill sits in Public Safety. Streets stay risky while data hides in shadows.

Int 1252-2025, now laid over in the Committee on Public Safety, was introduced April 24, 2025. The bill reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code... in relation to police department parking enforcement.' Council Members Farah N. Louis (primary), Oswald Feliz, Justin L. Brannan, Lincoln Restler, Robert F. Holden, and Chris Banks sponsor the measure. It forces NYPD to verify license plates and VINs on vehicles with temp tags or those ticketed for violations. NYPD must also publish quarterly parking enforcement reports. No safety analyst has assessed the bill's impact on vulnerable road users.

• File Int 1252-2025, 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

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

A 101-year-old woman crossed with the light. An SUV turned left. The driver was unlicensed. She died days later. Her family mourns. The street remains the same.

According to the New York Post (April 24, 2025), Taibel Brod, 101, was fatally struck by a 2023 GMC Yukon while crossing Brooklyn Avenue at Montgomery Street in Crown Heights. Police say Brod had the light. The driver, Menachem Shagalow, 65, was unlicensed and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation and failure to exercise due care. The article quotes Brod's grandson: "She was extremely independent till her last day." Brod died less than two weeks after the crash. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians, especially from unlicensed drivers. Shagalow was released with a desk appearance ticket. The case underscores persistent gaps in enforcement and street design that leave vulnerable road users exposed.

• Unlicensed Driver Kills Brooklyn Matriarch, New York Post, Published 2025-04-24