SoHo-Little Italy: Four deaths, hundreds hurt — and the cars keep coming

Soho-Little Italy-Hudson Square: Jan 1, 2022 - Aug 26, 2025

A hard tally in SoHo–Little Italy–Hudson Square: 4 people killed, 514 injured since 2022. Bicyclists took 123 injuries; pedestrians 143. Two cyclists and one pedestrian are among the dead. The street never stops. The hurt piles up. NYC Open Data.

At Crosby and Spring, a driver making a left in an SUV hit a 54‑year‑old woman who was crossing with the signal. She died. Cause recorded: failure to yield. NYC Open Data.

At Broome and Centre, a 44‑year‑old on an e‑bike collided with a truck. He died at the scene. NYC Open Data.

The clock tells a story. Injuries spike through the late morning and evening rush: 10 a.m. shows three deaths and 18 injuries in this area. Even midnight holds blood: 20 hurt at 12 a.m., 22 at 1 a.m. NYC Open Data.

Bikes and feet bear the brunt. SUVs and sedans are the main striking bodies in pedestrian injuries; one pedestrian death involves an SUV. Trucks and taxis appear too. PeriodStats.

Corners that don’t forgive

The list of hot spots is short and grim: Lafayette Street logged 11 injuries and two serious ones. Broome Street holds two deaths. Bowery racks 45 injuries.

On July 19, just east of here at Canal and Bowery, a stolen car moving at more than 100 mph killed two people. The city promised quick fixes at that intersection and a longer redesign. “We are taking immediate steps to fortify this intersection,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. Advocates warned most of Canal stays dangerous. Gothamist, NY1.

Closer in, the deaths feel routine. A left turn. A straight‑through truck. A rider down. The record does not blink. NYC Open Data.

What the numbers say

Top listed causes in this zone: “other,” failure to yield, unsafe speed, and distraction. Two deaths sit under “other.” Failure to yield injured seven and seriously hurt one. Unsafe speed shows a serious injury. Distraction adds more wounds. NYC Open Data.

This year to date, crashes are up versus last year’s pace: 246 so far, compared to 219, with two deaths. Adults 25–54 carry most of the injuries. PeriodStats.

A cyclist at West Houston and Mercer was badly cut after a taxi “disregarded traffic control,” the data says. Severity 4. Another entry: an SUV ignored a signal and struck a pedestrian on Houston. The file is full of simple verbs that end lives. Turned. Backed. Struck. NYC Open Data.

Fix the turns. Clear the corners. Slow the cars.

Three local steps would cut the harm here:

• Daylight the corners along Lafayette, Broome, and Bowery. Pull back parking to give sightlines and space.
• Harden left turns at signals with rubber islands and slow‑turn geometry.
• Add leading walk signals and tighten truck turns at freight routes.

City Hall moves when the dead make headlines. After the Canal killings, the city said it would lower speeds, add barriers, and narrow lanes at Bowery and Canal. “We are taking immediate steps,” Rodriguez said. “The vast majority of the corridor will remain deadly,” an advocate answered. Gothamist, NY1.

Two citywide moves sit on the table now. Albany renewed 24/7 school speed cameras through 2030. Supporters say they cut speeding. AMNY.

And the state is advancing a bill to force speed‑limiters on repeat speeders. Senator Brian Kavanagh voted yes in committee. The bill targets drivers with patterns of points or camera tickets. S 4045.

Lower the default speed. Install the limiters. Clear the corners. Do it before the next flat line in the log.

If you want to press for those changes, take one step today at Take Action.