Forest Hills Bleeds: Speed Kills, Leaders Stall
Forest Hills: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025
The Numbers Don’t Lie
One death. Five serious injuries. 631 people hurt. That is the toll of traffic violence in Forest Hills since 2022. These are not just numbers—they are bodies broken, lives changed. In the last year alone, 212 people were injured here. Four suffered injuries so severe they may never walk the same again. No one died in the last twelve months, but luck will not hold.
Who Pays the Price
Pedestrians and cyclists take the brunt. An 18-year-old was killed by an SUV on the Long Island Expressway. A 16-year-old girl, crossing with the light, was struck by a bus on Yellowstone Boulevard. A cyclist’s face was torn open in a crash with a van on 108th Street. These are not rare events—they are the drumbeat of daily life in Forest Hills. See the data.
The Vehicles That Wound and Kill
SUVs, sedans, trucks, buses, bikes, mopeds. In Forest Hills, SUVs and cars caused the only death and most serious injuries. Trucks and buses left two people with life-altering wounds. Bikes and mopeds hurt others. The street does not forgive mistakes, and the biggest machines do the most harm.
What Has Been Done—And What Hasn’t
Local leaders talk of Vision Zero. The city touts new speed limits, more cameras, and intersection redesigns. But in Forest Hills, the carnage continues. The numbers do not move fast enough. The city has the power to lower speed limits to 20 mph. It has not used it here. Cameras catch speeders, but only where they are installed. The rest of the streets are left to chance.
The Call
This is not fate. Every injury, every death, is preventable. Demand more. Call your council member. Call the mayor. Tell them to lower the speed limit, build real protection for people on foot and bike, and keep the cameras running. Do not wait for another body in the road. Take action now.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752176, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
▸ Other Geographies
Forest Hills Forest Hills sits in Queens, Precinct 112, District 29, AD 28, SD 15, Queens CB6.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Forest Hills
Multiple SUV Collision on Long Island Expressway▸Five SUVs collided on the Long Island Expressway. One driver suffered back injuries and whiplash. The crash involved repeated driver inattention. Vehicles struck each other front and rear, causing center-end damage. The injured driver was conscious and restrained.
According to the police report, five SUVs traveling east on the Long Island Expressway collided. The impact points included center front and center back ends of the vehicles. One male driver, age 30, was injured with back pain and whiplash but remained conscious and was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists multiple instances of driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors. No other causes or victim errors were noted. The crash caused significant damage to the center front and back ends of the vehicles involved.
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Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4511914,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Pedestrian Injured Crossing Austin Street▸A 45-year-old woman was struck while crossing Austin Street with the signal. The sedan driver failed to yield and was distracted. The pedestrian suffered bruises and injuries to her knee and lower leg. The driver made a right turn without yielding.
According to the police report, a 45-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Austin Street and 71 Avenue in Queens. She was crossing with the signal when a sedan, driven by a licensed female driver, made a right turn and struck her. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists driver errors as "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way." The vehicle showed no damage, indicating the impact was likely low-speed but still caused significant injury. No contributing factors related to the pedestrian were noted.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4503058,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
2SUV Rear-Ends Box Truck on Expressway▸Two vehicles collided on the Long Island Expressway. An SUV struck a box truck from behind. Two passengers in the SUV suffered back injuries and shock. Both vehicles traveled east. The SUV driver followed too closely, causing the crash.
According to the police report, an SUV traveling east on the Long Island Expressway rear-ended a box truck also traveling east. The impact occurred at the center back end of the SUV and the center front end of the truck. Two passengers in the SUV, a 37-year-old female and a 60-year-old male, were injured with back injuries and experienced shock. Both were restrained with lap belts and harnesses and were not ejected. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as a contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver failed to maintain a safe distance behind the truck. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501991,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Five SUVs collided on the Long Island Expressway. One driver suffered back injuries and whiplash. The crash involved repeated driver inattention. Vehicles struck each other front and rear, causing center-end damage. The injured driver was conscious and restrained.
According to the police report, five SUVs traveling east on the Long Island Expressway collided. The impact points included center front and center back ends of the vehicles. One male driver, age 30, was injured with back pain and whiplash but remained conscious and was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists multiple instances of driver inattention and distraction as contributing factors. No other causes or victim errors were noted. The crash caused significant damage to the center front and back ends of the vehicles involved.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4511914, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
Pedestrian Injured Crossing Austin Street▸A 45-year-old woman was struck while crossing Austin Street with the signal. The sedan driver failed to yield and was distracted. The pedestrian suffered bruises and injuries to her knee and lower leg. The driver made a right turn without yielding.
According to the police report, a 45-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Austin Street and 71 Avenue in Queens. She was crossing with the signal when a sedan, driven by a licensed female driver, made a right turn and struck her. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists driver errors as "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way." The vehicle showed no damage, indicating the impact was likely low-speed but still caused significant injury. No contributing factors related to the pedestrian were noted.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4503058,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
2SUV Rear-Ends Box Truck on Expressway▸Two vehicles collided on the Long Island Expressway. An SUV struck a box truck from behind. Two passengers in the SUV suffered back injuries and shock. Both vehicles traveled east. The SUV driver followed too closely, causing the crash.
According to the police report, an SUV traveling east on the Long Island Expressway rear-ended a box truck also traveling east. The impact occurred at the center back end of the SUV and the center front end of the truck. Two passengers in the SUV, a 37-year-old female and a 60-year-old male, were injured with back injuries and experienced shock. Both were restrained with lap belts and harnesses and were not ejected. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as a contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver failed to maintain a safe distance behind the truck. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501991,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A 45-year-old woman was struck while crossing Austin Street with the signal. The sedan driver failed to yield and was distracted. The pedestrian suffered bruises and injuries to her knee and lower leg. The driver made a right turn without yielding.
According to the police report, a 45-year-old female pedestrian was injured at the intersection of Austin Street and 71 Avenue in Queens. She was crossing with the signal when a sedan, driven by a licensed female driver, made a right turn and struck her. The pedestrian sustained contusions and injuries to her knee, lower leg, and foot. The report lists driver errors as "Driver Inattention/Distraction" and "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way." The vehicle showed no damage, indicating the impact was likely low-speed but still caused significant injury. No contributing factors related to the pedestrian were noted.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4503058, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
2SUV Rear-Ends Box Truck on Expressway▸Two vehicles collided on the Long Island Expressway. An SUV struck a box truck from behind. Two passengers in the SUV suffered back injuries and shock. Both vehicles traveled east. The SUV driver followed too closely, causing the crash.
According to the police report, an SUV traveling east on the Long Island Expressway rear-ended a box truck also traveling east. The impact occurred at the center back end of the SUV and the center front end of the truck. Two passengers in the SUV, a 37-year-old female and a 60-year-old male, were injured with back injuries and experienced shock. Both were restrained with lap belts and harnesses and were not ejected. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as a contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver failed to maintain a safe distance behind the truck. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501991,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Two vehicles collided on the Long Island Expressway. An SUV struck a box truck from behind. Two passengers in the SUV suffered back injuries and shock. Both vehicles traveled east. The SUV driver followed too closely, causing the crash.
According to the police report, an SUV traveling east on the Long Island Expressway rear-ended a box truck also traveling east. The impact occurred at the center back end of the SUV and the center front end of the truck. Two passengers in the SUV, a 37-year-old female and a 60-year-old male, were injured with back injuries and experienced shock. Both were restrained with lap belts and harnesses and were not ejected. The report lists "Following Too Closely" as a contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver failed to maintain a safe distance behind the truck. No other driver errors or victim factors were noted.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501991, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15