Deadly Silence on the Belt Parkway: Lives Lost, Leaders Absent

• Elderly driver hits 3 women in Brooklyn, killing 1, CBS New York, Published 2025-10-15

• Brooklyn mother struck and killed by e-bike. Her family is now demanding answers., CBS New York, Published 2025-10-07

• Woman, 75, killed steps from her Brooklyn home by hit-and-run driver who blew light, NY Daily News, Published 2025-10-05

• Tesla driver sought in deadly hit-and-run in Brooklyn, police say, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-28

Sep 16 - Westbound, straight ahead. A sedan driver and a motorcyclist collided on Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. The motorcyclist, 43, suffered a leg contusion and stayed conscious. Police recorded driver inattention/distraction.

According to the police report, a driver in a sedan and a 43-year-old motorcyclist were both traveling west on Belt Parkway in Brooklyn and collided while going straight. The motorcyclist suffered an injury to the knee/lower leg/foot and was conscious at the scene, with a reported contusion. Other listed occupants showed unspecified injury status. Police recorded driver inattention/distraction as a contributing factor. The record does not specify which driver was inattentive or how the crash unfolded. No other contributing factors were noted in the dataset.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843335 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-06

• Brooklyn police pursuit ends with pedestrian struck, alleged teenage car thief caught, amny, Published 2025-09-14

Sep 6 - On Flatbush by the Belt Parkway, a 29-year-old motorcyclist went straight when the motorcycle's back end took the hit. He stayed conscious. He suffered severe leg cuts. Police recorded 'Other Vehicular' as the contributing factor.

A crash on Flatbush Ave at the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn injured a 29-year-old motorcyclist. According to the police report, the motorcycle was "Going Straight Ahead," and the point of impact was the "Center Back End." Police recorded "Other Vehicular" as the contributing factor. The rider suffered severe lacerations to the knee, lower leg, and foot. He remained conscious and was not ejected. The report lists a second vehicle but provides no details on that driver or vehicle. Damage to the motorcycle was recorded at the center back end. The record names the rider as the driver. No other injuries are documented.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4841477 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-06

• Moped rider, 25, dies after crashing into 2 vehicles in Brooklyn intersection, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-03

• NYPD officer struck by hit-and-run driver in Brooklyn, ABC7, Published 2025-09-01

• NYPD cop killed in fiery BQE hit-and-run survived earlier motorcycle crash: friend, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-31

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 10 - Two SUV drivers crashed at Fillmore and East 32nd. The Honda overturned. A 62-year-old woman driving was hurt. Three others listed with unspecified injuries. Police recorded failure to yield.

Two SUV drivers collided at Fillmore Avenue and East 32nd Street in Brooklyn. The driver of a westbound 2011 Honda went straight. A northeastbound 2024 Mitsubishi driver made a left turn. The Honda overturned. A 62-year-old woman driving the Honda was injured with abrasions across her body. Three others were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the crash involved a westbound Honda and a northeastbound Mitsubishi making a left turn, and police recorded “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way” as the contributing factor. No other contributing factors were recorded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833933 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-06

Aug 5 - A driver in a sedan overturned on Belt Parkway in Brooklyn. The 22-year-old driver was ejected and killed. Three male passengers were injured; one passenger was also ejected. Police recorded unsafe speed and driver inattention.

A driver in a sedan was traveling west on the Belt Parkway when the vehicle overturned. The 22-year-old driver was ejected and killed. Three male passengers were injured; police said one passenger was also ejected. According to the police report, the crash killed the 22-year-old driver and injured three male passengers, ages 18, 20, and 22. Police list 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The report notes that some occupants wore no safety equipment, mentioned after the cited driver errors. The car was registered in New Jersey and suffered an overturn.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833034 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-06

Aug 4 - A car struck and dragged a man fifty feet on Broadway. He died at the scene. The driver fled. Police search for answers. Brooklyn leads the city in pedestrian injuries this year.

Gothamist (2025-08-04) reports a 47-year-old man was killed after being struck and dragged over 50 feet by a northbound car at Broadway and Suydam Street in Bushwick. The driver fled. Police have not released the victim's name and seek information on the vehicle. The article notes, 'It was not immediately clear whether the man was walking in a crosswalk, or who had the right of way.' Brooklyn has the highest number of pedestrian injuries in New York City so far this year, with 228 hurt and two killed through June. The case highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians and the persistent issue of hit-and-run drivers.

• Bushwick Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-04

Jul 24 - Two dead on Third Avenue. A hit-and-run. Leaders call for change. The city promised a fix. The street stays deadly. Demands grow. Blood stains the corridor. Action lags.

CBS New York (2025-07-24) reports Brooklyn leaders urge the city to redesign Third Avenue after a fatal hit-and-run killed two. The article states, "Traffic safety leaders are calling on New York City to keep its promise to redesign Brooklyn's Third Avenue corridor." The crash highlights ongoing danger and unmet city commitments. Driver fled the scene. Advocates press for swift redesign to prevent more deaths.

• Brooklyn Leaders Demand Third Avenue Redesign, CBS New York, Published 2025-07-24

Jul 16 - A driver spun out in a Brooklyn lot. The car struck a woman on the curb. She died at the hospital. Police charged the driver with negligent homicide. The lot was left scarred. The city mourns another loss.

According to the New York Post (2025-07-16), Zachary Cando, 24, was 'doing the dangerous spinning trick' known as donuts in a Gateway Center parking lot when he lost control and hit Madisyn Ruiz, 21, who was sitting nearby. Ruiz died after being rushed to the hospital. Police charged Cando with criminally negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, and reckless driving. The article notes the car was 'badly dented in the front.' The crash highlights the risks of reckless driving in public spaces and the need for stronger deterrents in parking lots.

• Driver Kills Girlfriend Doing Donuts, New York Post, Published 2025-07-16

Jul 12 - A delivery worker stopped on Lincoln Ave. A driver clipped his open door. Words turned to blows. The driver pulled a pipe, struck hard, then fled. The worker went to the hospital. Police seek the attacker.

NY Daily News (2025-07-12) reports a 36-year-old grocery delivery worker was attacked on Lincoln Ave. in Cypress Hills after a driver struck his open car door. The two argued. The driver "opened his hatchback, pulled out a pipe, and lunged at the victim, striking him repeatedly." The attacker fled. Police released images of the suspect. No arrests have been made. The incident highlights the dangers faced by workers on city streets and the potential for minor collisions to escalate into violence.

• Grocer Beaten With Pipe In Brooklyn, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-12

Jul 11 - A speeding driver killed two men in a crosswalk on Third Avenue. The corridor’s safety redesign was shelved. The city knew the danger. The deaths came fast, brutal, and preventable.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-07-11) reports a driver struck and killed Kex Un Chen and Faqui Lin on Third Avenue, Brooklyn. The driver, charged with manslaughter and fleeing, sped through a red light. The crash happened on a corridor where Mayor Adams paused a safety redesign after business opposition. Streetsblog notes, 'Every death is preventable.' Since the redesign was halted, 96 crashes have injured 80 people. The Department of Transportation’s plan would have reduced lanes and added protections. Community Board 7 supported it, but the project stalled. The corridor remains deadly.

• Hit-and-Run Kills Two on Third Avenue, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-07-11

Jul 9 - Two vehicles collided on Flatbush Avenue. A sedan struck the back of an SUV. Three people hurt. Impact was hard. Police list no clear cause. Streets remain dangerous for all.

A sedan and an SUV crashed on Flatbush Avenue near Hendrickson Place in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan hit the back of the SUV. Three people were injured: a 73-year-old male driver with back pain, a 70-year-old female passenger with a neck contusion, and another occupant with unspecified injuries. Police list all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are recorded in the report. The crash left both vehicles damaged at their center ends. The report notes one passenger wore a lap belt, while another driver had no safety equipment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4826825 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-06