Queens Boulevard Bleeds—And City Hall Lets It Happen
Rego Park: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025
Death on the Boulevard
In Rego Park, the road takes and takes. In the last twelve months, two people died and one was seriously injured in 217 crashes. Fifty-seven people have been hurt already this year. The dead are not numbers. They are fathers, sons, neighbors. William McField, 55, was riding his motorcycle when a BMW driver chased him down Woodhaven Boulevard. The BMW struck from behind. The motorcycle caught fire. McField died on the street. His son said, “my father was very beloved in the community and true to his friends and family” ABC7 report.
A 23-year-old cyclist was killed at 63rd Drive and Queens Boulevard. Two cars hit him. He died six days later. The police said, “It wasn’t clear if any of the men involved in the crash ran a red light” NY Daily News coverage. No charges. No answers. The street stays the same.
The Numbers Do Not Lie
Crashes are not rare here. In the past year, 118 people were injured. The old and the young are not spared. Nine children were hurt. Seven people over 75. Cars and SUVs do most of the damage. Trucks and buses are not far behind. The city counts the bodies. The city moves on.
Leadership: Words and Silence
The city passed Sammy’s Law. The council can lower speed limits to 20 mph. They have not done it yet. Cameras catch speeders, but only where the city puts them. The law to keep those cameras running is always at risk. Local leaders say, “one life lost to traffic violence is one life too many” NYC briefing notes. But the speed on Queens Boulevard stays high. The crosswalks stay wide and bare. The dead stay dead.
What Comes Next
This is not fate. Call your council member. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand protected crossings. Demand cameras that never go dark. Every day of delay is another family broken.
Citations
▸ Citations
- SUV Driver Charged After Queens Crash, ABC7, Published 2025-04-25
- SUV Driver Charged After Queens Crash, ABC7, Published 2025-04-25
- E-Bike Rider Killed at Queens Intersection, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-03
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4720760, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
- BMW Driver Kills Motorcyclist In Queens, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-25
- Motorcyclist Killed In Queens Collision Blaze, NY Daily News, Published 2025-04-05
▸ Other Geographies
Rego Park Rego Park sits in Queens, Precinct 112, District 30, AD 28, SD 15, Queens CB6.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Rego Park
Pedestrian Hit by Left-Turning Sedan in Queens▸A 46-year-old man was struck at a marked crosswalk on Carlton Street. The sedan made a left turn and hit the pedestrian in the head. The driver was inattentive. The victim suffered a contusion and remained conscious.
According to the police report, a 46-year-old male pedestrian was injured while crossing at a marked crosswalk on Carlton Street in Queens. The sedan, traveling east, was making a left turn when it struck the pedestrian with its right front bumper. The pedestrian sustained a head injury described as a contusion and remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. No damage was reported to the vehicle. The pedestrian was crossing without a signal, but the report does not cite this as a contributing factor. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Honda sedan at the time of the crash.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507855,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
SUV Slams Parked Truck on Booth Street▸A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Strikes Pedestrian on Horace Harding▸A 47-year-old woman was hit by a sedan making a right turn on Horace Harding Expressway. The driver failed to yield right-of-way. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and shock. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact at the right front bumper.
According to the police report, a sedan traveling east on Horace Harding Expressway struck a 47-year-old female pedestrian at an intersection. The pedestrian was injured in the back and experienced shock, complaining of pain and nausea. The driver was making a right turn and failed to yield the right-of-way, a contributing factor cited in the report. The vehicle sustained no damage despite the collision at the right front bumper. No other contributing factors were listed for the pedestrian. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Nissan sedan. The incident highlights a failure to yield right-of-way as the primary cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4494250,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A 46-year-old man was struck at a marked crosswalk on Carlton Street. The sedan made a left turn and hit the pedestrian in the head. The driver was inattentive. The victim suffered a contusion and remained conscious.
According to the police report, a 46-year-old male pedestrian was injured while crossing at a marked crosswalk on Carlton Street in Queens. The sedan, traveling east, was making a left turn when it struck the pedestrian with its right front bumper. The pedestrian sustained a head injury described as a contusion and remained conscious. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the primary contributing factor. No damage was reported to the vehicle. The pedestrian was crossing without a signal, but the report does not cite this as a contributing factor. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Honda sedan at the time of the crash.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507855, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
SUV Slams Parked Truck on Booth Street▸A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Strikes Pedestrian on Horace Harding▸A 47-year-old woman was hit by a sedan making a right turn on Horace Harding Expressway. The driver failed to yield right-of-way. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and shock. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact at the right front bumper.
According to the police report, a sedan traveling east on Horace Harding Expressway struck a 47-year-old female pedestrian at an intersection. The pedestrian was injured in the back and experienced shock, complaining of pain and nausea. The driver was making a right turn and failed to yield the right-of-way, a contributing factor cited in the report. The vehicle sustained no damage despite the collision at the right front bumper. No other contributing factors were listed for the pedestrian. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Nissan sedan. The incident highlights a failure to yield right-of-way as the primary cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4494250,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A Ford SUV crashed into a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street. The driver’s leg was crushed. He stayed conscious, belted in. The truck did not move. Night air held the sound. Metal met metal. The street did not forgive.
A Ford SUV struck the rear of a parked tractor-trailer on Booth Street in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV driver’s leg was crushed in the crash. He remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The tractor-trailer was stationary and unoccupied at the time. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants in the SUV were not seriously hurt. The impact was severe, crushing the driver’s lower leg. The report makes clear: driver error and disregard for traffic control led to this violent collision.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507857, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Strikes Pedestrian on Horace Harding▸A 47-year-old woman was hit by a sedan making a right turn on Horace Harding Expressway. The driver failed to yield right-of-way. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and shock. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact at the right front bumper.
According to the police report, a sedan traveling east on Horace Harding Expressway struck a 47-year-old female pedestrian at an intersection. The pedestrian was injured in the back and experienced shock, complaining of pain and nausea. The driver was making a right turn and failed to yield the right-of-way, a contributing factor cited in the report. The vehicle sustained no damage despite the collision at the right front bumper. No other contributing factors were listed for the pedestrian. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Nissan sedan. The incident highlights a failure to yield right-of-way as the primary cause.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4494250,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A 47-year-old woman was hit by a sedan making a right turn on Horace Harding Expressway. The driver failed to yield right-of-way. The pedestrian suffered back injuries and shock. The vehicle showed no damage despite the impact at the right front bumper.
According to the police report, a sedan traveling east on Horace Harding Expressway struck a 47-year-old female pedestrian at an intersection. The pedestrian was injured in the back and experienced shock, complaining of pain and nausea. The driver was making a right turn and failed to yield the right-of-way, a contributing factor cited in the report. The vehicle sustained no damage despite the collision at the right front bumper. No other contributing factors were listed for the pedestrian. The driver was licensed and operating a 2016 Nissan sedan. The incident highlights a failure to yield right-of-way as the primary cause.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4494250, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15