Flatbush Bleeds While City Hall Waits

A 75-year-old woman crossing with the signal on Flatbush Avenue was hit. She suffered knee and leg injuries. The vehicle type is unknown. No driver errors or contributing factors were reported.

According to the police report, a 75-year-old female pedestrian was injured while crossing Flatbush Avenue at Caton Avenue in Brooklyn. She was in the crosswalk with the pedestrian signal when an unspecified vehicle struck her. The victim sustained injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot, and was reported to be in shock. The report lists no driver errors or contributing factors. No information about the vehicle type, driver behavior, or license status was provided. The absence of identified driver mistakes leaves the cause of the crash unclear.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4789200 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A cargo van struck Mayya Gil, 95, and her aide in Brooklyn. Gil died. The driver turned left, hit them in the crosswalk. No charges filed. Gil survived war and disaster, but not New York traffic. Another senior lost to city streets.

Gothamist (2025-01-26) reports that Mayya Gil, 95, was killed while crossing Cropsey Avenue in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. A man driving a cargo van made a left turn and struck Gil and her home health aide. The aide survived; Gil did not. Police made no arrests or charges. The article notes, 'She was a very active lady.' Gil was the second elderly pedestrian killed in Brooklyn that month. Transportation Alternatives highlighted that 46 senior pedestrians died in city crashes last year. The crash underscores the ongoing risk to older New Yorkers at crosswalks and the lack of driver accountability in such incidents.

• Elderly Woman Killed Crossing Cropsey Avenue, Gothamist, Published 2025-01-26

Council wants every cyclist in New York to wear a helmet. No helmet, pay a $50 fine. The bill targets riders not already covered by other laws. Debate now sits with the transportation committee.

Bill Int 1173-2025, now in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, was introduced January 23, 2025. The bill states: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of New York, in relation to requiring bicyclists to wear protective headgear.' Public Advocate Jumaane Williams leads as primary sponsor, joined by Council Members Holden, Vernikov, Narcisse, Moya, Schulman, Louis, Hanks, Brannan, and Zhuang. The measure would fine cyclists up to $50 for riding without a helmet, unless already required by other laws. The bill awaits further action in committee.

• File Int 1173-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-01-23

A southbound SUV driven by an unlicensed man struck the rear of a parked SUV in Brooklyn. The impact caused knee and lower leg injuries to the driver, who remained conscious and restrained. Both vehicles sustained front and rear damage respectively.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 17:52 in Brooklyn near East 22nd Street. The driver of a 2000 Ford SUV, traveling southbound, collided with the rear of a parked 2013 Toyota SUV. The Ford's center front end and the Toyota's center back end were damaged. The driver, a 51-year-old man, was injured with contusions and injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot but was conscious and wearing a lap belt and harness. The report identifies the driver as unlicensed in New Jersey. No other contributing factors were specified. The crash involved no ejections or other occupants. The collision highlights the dangers posed by unlicensed drivers operating vehicles in the city.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4787010 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan making an improper U-turn struck a bicyclist traveling straight on Church Avenue in Brooklyn. The cyclist suffered neck abrasions and shock. Police cited the sedan driver’s failure to yield right-of-way and improper turning as contributing factors.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 3:45 PM on Church Avenue near Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. A 52-year-old male bicyclist, wearing a helmet, was traveling straight south when a 2025 Toyota sedan made an improper U-turn and struck him on the right side doors. The bicyclist sustained neck abrasions and was in shock. The report explicitly lists the sedan driver’s failure to yield right-of-way and turning improperly as the primary contributing factors. The bicyclist was not ejected and was injured but survived. The sedan’s left side doors were damaged, indicating the point of impact. The report does not assign any fault or contributing factors to the bicyclist beyond helmet use, which is noted but not cited as a factor. The crash highlights the dangers posed by drivers making illegal or unsafe turns and failing to yield to vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4786865 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Assembly bill A 1077 pushes for streets built for people, not just cars. Dozens of lawmakers back safer roads. The bill stands at sponsorship. No vote yet. Vulnerable users wait for action.

Assembly bill A 1077, now in sponsorship, aims to 'enable safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles.' Introduced January 8, 2025, the bill sits in committee. Jonathan Rivera leads as primary sponsor, joined by over 60 co-sponsors including Patrick Burke, Robert C. Carroll, and Catalina Cruz. No votes have been cast. The bill's language centers all road users, not just drivers. No safety analyst has yet assessed its impact on vulnerable road users. The measure signals intent but action remains pending.

• File A 1077, Open States, Published 2025-01-08

Assembly bill A 803 aims to keep cars out of bike lanes. Cameras would catch violators. Streets could clear. Cyclists might breathe easier. Lawmakers back the crackdown. The fight for safe passage continues.

Assembly bill A 803, now in sponsorship, proposes a bicycle lane safety program for New York City. It would enforce restrictions on bike lane use with photo devices. The bill summary reads: 'Establishes in the city of New York a bicycle lane safety program to enforce certain restrictions on the use of bicycle lanes and/or protected bicycle lanes by means of bicycle lane photo devices.' Primary sponsor Zohran Mamdani leads, joined by Brian Cunningham, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Harvey Epstein, Amy Paulin, and others. The bill was introduced January 8, 2025. No safety analyst note was provided. The measure targets drivers who block or endanger cyclists.

• File A 803, Open States, Published 2025-01-08

Council orders DOT to repaint pavement lines within five days after resurfacing. Delays must be explained to the public. Clear markings mean fewer deadly crossings for walkers and riders.

Int 1160-2025, now enacted by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, forces the Department of Transportation to install pavement markings or temporary lines within five business days after any street resurfacing. The bill, sponsored by Farah N. Louis (primary) and co-sponsored by Brannan, Schulman, Banks, Farías, Carr, Ariola, and others, passed on March 15, 2025. The law demands annual reporting on compliance and reasons for any delay. The matter title reads: 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to installing pavement markings.' Quick, visible lines cut confusion and protect people crossing or riding. The law took effect immediately.

• File Int 1160-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-01-08

Senate bill S 131 demands complete street design for state-funded projects. Sponsors push for safer roads. Guidance will go public. Streets could change. Pedestrians and cyclists stand to gain.

Senate bill S 131 was introduced on January 8, 2025, now in the sponsorship stage. The bill, titled 'Requires the consideration of complete street design for certain transportation projects which receive federal or state funding,' aims to force safer street planning. Primary sponsor Sean Ryan leads, joined by co-sponsors Jamaal Bailey, Jabari Brisport, Samra Brouk, Cordell Cleare, Leroy Comrie, Jeremy Cooney, Nathalia Fernandez, Michael Gianaris, Kristen Gonzalez, Robert Jackson, Rachel May, Kevin S. Parker, Christopher Ryan, and Luis R. Sepúlveda. The bill also orders the department to publish guidance on street design. No safety analyst note was provided.

• File S 131, Open States, Published 2025-01-08

A parked SUV took a hard hit to its left side in Brooklyn. The driver, a 51-year-old woman, suffered a fractured and dislocated lower arm. Police list contributing factors as unspecified.

According to the police report, a 2018 Honda SUV was parked on Campus Rd near Hillel Pl in Brooklyn when it was struck on the left side doors at 12:40. The driver, a 51-year-old woman, was inside and suffered a fracture and dislocation to her elbow and lower arm. She was conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists all contributing factors as unspecified. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The impact and damage were confined to the left side of the SUV. No ejection occurred, and no other victims were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4784410 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A white Audi struck Michael Foster on Caton Avenue. The car dragged him for blocks. The driver never stopped. Foster died in the street. The Audi vanished into the night. No arrests. The city’s danger stays.

NY Daily News reported on January 1, 2025, that Michael Foster, 64, was killed after a white Audi hit him on Caton Ave. near Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn. The driver, described as speeding, dragged Foster for half a mile before leaving him near Linden Blvd. and Nostrand Ave. The article quotes a witness: "I saw him at the stop light. He would go out to the cars and beg for change." The driver fled the scene and has not been caught. No arrests have been made. The incident highlights the lethal risk for pedestrians in city streets and the ongoing issue of hit-and-run drivers evading responsibility.

• Audi Driver Drags Man Half Mile, NY Daily News, Published 2025-01-01

A 64-year-old man lay broken on Caton Avenue, struck head-on by an Audi. His skull fractured, his body crushed. No crosswalk. No warning. The street claimed another life as evening fell in Brooklyn.

A 64-year-old pedestrian was killed when an Audi sedan struck him head-on on Caton Avenue near Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, according to the police report. The report states the man was not at an intersection or crosswalk when the collision occurred. The impact crushed his body and fractured his skull. The police narrative describes the scene: 'A 64-year-old man lay dying in the street. The front of an Audi struck him head-on. His skull broke. His body crushed.' The vehicle’s center front end bore the brunt of the collision. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified,' offering no further detail on driver behavior or conditions. The focus remains on the lethal force of the vehicle and the absence of safe crossing infrastructure at the site.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4783016 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Unlicensed driver crashed a sedan into another on Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn. The licensed driver suffered bruises and shock. Both cars damaged. Impact was hard. Streets stayed dangerous.

According to the police report, two sedans collided at 18:20 on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn. An unlicensed female driver, heading north, struck the center front end of a westbound sedan. The licensed male driver of the second car suffered full-body contusions and shock. He was restrained by a lap belt and was not ejected. The police report highlights the unlicensed status of the striking driver as a key factor. No other contributing factors were listed. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles damaged at the points of impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4785087 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 70-year-old man crossing Crooke Ave was struck by a westbound SUV. He suffered arm and hand injuries. Police cited pedestrian confusion. No driver errors listed. The crash left the man conscious and hurt.

According to the police report, a 70-year-old male pedestrian was hit while crossing Crooke Ave at a marked crosswalk in Brooklyn. The crash happened at 8:30 p.m. when a 2019 Porsche SUV, traveling west, struck him at the center front end. The man suffered abrasions and injuries to his elbow, lower arm, and hand, but remained conscious. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No driver errors, such as failure to yield or speeding, were cited. The SUV showed no damage. The data centers on pedestrian confusion, with no fault assigned to the driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4781560 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

SUV struck a 60-year-old woman crossing with the signal on Flatbush Avenue. She suffered head injuries and shock. The driver turned left, hitting her head-on. No vehicle damage reported. Impact fell on the pedestrian.

According to the police report, a 60-year-old woman was crossing Flatbush Avenue at Clarkson Avenue in Brooklyn with the signal when a southbound Jeep SUV made a left turn and struck her with the center front end. The pedestrian suffered head injuries and was in shock. The report lists no vehicle damage. The police report does not specify contributing factors but notes the driver's left turn as the pre-crash event. The pedestrian's action—crossing with the signal—is documented but not cited as a cause. The crash highlights the danger turning vehicles pose to people on foot at city intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4781555 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Metal groaned on Nostrand Avenue. Two cars trapped, one stacked atop the other. A bus driver, a woman, a girl—hurt but alive. Emergency crews worked fast. The street bore the scars. The cause stayed hidden in the wreckage.

NY Daily News reported on December 18, 2024, that a multi-vehicle crash at Nostrand Ave. and Park Ave. in Brooklyn left three people injured. The article states, 'Three people were injured, including an MTA bus driver and a young girl, in a collision that pinned two cars between a box truck and a city bus.' Footage showed two vehicles sandwiched between the bus and truck, with one car stacked atop another. The injured included a 59-year-old MTA driver, a 33-year-old woman, and a 9-year-old girl. All were hospitalized in stable condition. The cause of the crash was not determined at the time of reporting. The incident highlights the risks at busy intersections and the dangers posed by large vehicles in dense urban traffic.

• Cars Crushed Between Bus And Truck, NY Daily News, Published 2024-12-18

A corruption probe toppled Ingrid Lewis-Martin, City Hall’s top aide and a key road safety foe. Her resistance stalled the McGuinness Blvd. redesign, leaving pedestrians and cyclists at risk. Only after investigators seized phones did the city revive its safety plan.

This story centers on the McGuinness Boulevard safety redesign, a project to protect pedestrians and cyclists on a deadly Brooklyn street. No council bill number applies, but the saga unfolded across 2023 and 2024, with City Hall’s powerful aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin at the center. The matter: 'What role did a single bike lane play in Ingrid Lewis-Martin's undoing?' Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams’s closest advisor, fought the road diet and bike lane, siding with Broadway Stages and its CEO Gina Argento, who opposed the plan. Under their pressure, Adams abandoned the Department of Transportation’s safety design. After both women’s phones were seized in a corruption probe, City Hall reversed course and advanced the safety project. The episode exposes how political interference delayed life-saving street changes, leaving vulnerable road users exposed to ongoing danger.

• The Lewis-Martin Probe and McGuinness Blvd.: What We Know, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-12-17

Power and money stalled safety on McGuinness Boulevard. A teacher died. Eleven pedestrians and three cyclists killed since 1995. City Hall caved to donors. Bike lanes and road diets delayed. Vulnerable road users paid the price. The fight continues.

This controversy centers on the McGuinness Boulevard safety redesign, with Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (District 42) mentioned at a pivotal June 15, 2023, town hall. The saga unfolded as City Hall, under pressure from Broadway Stages and its donors, repeatedly stalled or watered down the Department of Transportation’s plan to calm the deadly Brooklyn roadway. The matter’s summary: 'Under pressure from Broadway Stages, Mayor Adams abandoned his own Department of Transportation's plan to calm the notoriously dangerous Brooklyn roadway.' Despite neighborhood support and a history of fatal crashes, City Hall intervened, delaying life-saving changes. Bichotte Hermelyn appeared alongside DOT Commissioner Rodriguez at a meeting dominated by project opponents. The watered-down redesign, installed north of Calyer Street, did 'nothing' for pedestrian safety, according to local officials. The pattern: political influence trumped safety, leaving vulnerable road users at risk.

• The Lewis-Martin Probe and McGuinness Blvd.: What We Know, streetsblog.org, Published 2024-12-17

SUV veered on Flatbush Avenue. Metal struck metal. A woman in the front seat took the blow. Her shoulder and arm broke the silence. Lane change error left her hurt.

According to the police report, a southbound Lexus SUV changed lanes on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and struck a northbound Isuzu box truck at 12:30. The SUV’s front end hit the truck’s rear. The SUV’s front passenger, a 27-year-old woman, suffered internal, shoulder, and upper arm injuries. She was conscious and not ejected. The box truck showed no damage. The report lists the SUV driver’s pre-crash action as 'Changing Lanes,' highlighting a lane change error. No contributing factors were assigned to the passenger or the truck driver. The crash underscores the risk when drivers fail at basic maneuvers.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4778753 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan slammed into an SUV’s side on Cortelyou Road. Two men inside the SUV suffered whiplash and full-body injuries. Both drivers were licensed. No driver errors listed. Impact left the SUV’s doors crushed.

According to the police report, at 1:20 AM on Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn, a westbound sedan struck the left side doors of a northbound SUV. Two men, ages 27 and 31, rode in the SUV. Both wore lap belts and remained conscious, but suffered whiplash and injuries to their entire bodies. The sedan’s male driver was licensed. Both vehicles were traveling straight before the crash. The report lists no contributing driver errors or factors such as failure to yield or speeding. The collision’s force crushed the SUV’s side, injuring its occupants despite restraint use.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4777394 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04