Whitestone’s Toll: Broken Bodies, Broken Promises, No More Delays

• Man struck and killed by two vehicles while trying to cross Belt Parkway in South Ozone Park: NYPD, amny, Published 2025-09-16

• Maniac NYC driver who mowed down teen girl after she rejected lewd advances had suspended license: docs, New York Post, Published 2025-09-14

• 16-year-old girl dies after being hit by SUV in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

Aug 20 - The driver of an SUV turned left from Cross Island Parkway onto 160 Street and struck with the vehicle’s center front end. A 79-year-old driver suffered an elbow abrasion and remained conscious. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction.

The driver of an SUV made a left turn from Cross Island Parkway onto 160 Street and struck with the vehicle’s center front end. A 79-year-old male driver was injured, reporting an abrasion to the elbow and remaining conscious. According to the police report, "Driver Inattention/Distraction" was listed as a contributing factor for the driver. Police data record the driver’s pre-crash action as Making Left Turn and the point of impact as Center Front End. The driver was not ejected and was reported using a Lap Belt & Harness. No pedestrians or cyclists are recorded in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836485 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 14 - Paladino moves to cut the Streets Master Plan. The bill deletes bus- and bike-lane quotas and their definitions. Accountability drops. Riders and walkers lose clear targets. The car status quo holds.

Int 1362-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on August 14, 2025, and referral the same day. Sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino. The bill amends Admin Code §19-199.1 to repeal the definitions of “protected bicycle lane” and “protected bus lane,” and to strip lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan. The matter summary says, “This bill would remove the bus lane and bike lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan.” It also deletes protected lane reporting from neighborhood investment lists, while keeping other benchmarks for APS, bus stop upgrades, TSP, intersection redesigns, ramps, and pedestrian space. Status: in committee; no vote yet.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Paladino’s bill guts the Streets Master Plan. It repeals definitions for protected bike and bus lanes and deletes their quotas. Riders and walkers lose firm targets. The city trades clear commitments for vague promises.

Int 1362-2025 sits in committee. The Council introduced it on August 14, 2025 and referred it to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that day. Sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino (District 19). The bill repeals the definitions of protected bicycle lane and protected bus lane in Admin Code §19-199.1. It also strikes the Streets Master Plan benchmarks that required installing protected bike and bus lanes. As the matter summary states, "This bill would remove the bus lane and bike lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan." Other benchmarks remain: transit signal priority, bus stop upgrades, intersection redesigns, accessible pedestrian signals, pedestrian space, and ramps. The change erases clear lane targets for cyclists and bus riders.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Paladino’s bill guts the Streets Master Plan. It repeals definitions for protected bike and bus lanes and deletes their quotas. Riders and walkers lose firm targets. The city trades clear commitments for vague promises.

Int 1362-2025 sits in committee. The Council introduced it on August 14, 2025 and referred it to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that day. Sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino (District 19). The bill repeals the definitions of protected bicycle lane and protected bus lane in Admin Code §19-199.1. It also strikes the Streets Master Plan benchmarks that required installing protected bike and bus lanes. As the matter summary states, "This bill would remove the bus lane and bike lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan." Other benchmarks remain: transit signal priority, bus stop upgrades, intersection redesigns, accessible pedestrian signals, pedestrian space, and ramps. The change erases clear lane targets for cyclists and bus riders.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Paladino moves to cut the Streets Master Plan. The bill deletes bus- and bike-lane quotas and their definitions. Accountability drops. Riders and walkers lose clear targets. The car status quo holds.

Int 1362-2025 sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on August 14, 2025, and referral the same day. Sponsored by Council Member Vickie Paladino. The bill amends Admin Code §19-199.1 to repeal the definitions of “protected bicycle lane” and “protected bus lane,” and to strip lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan. The matter summary says, “This bill would remove the bus lane and bike lane quotas from the Streets Master Plan.” It also deletes protected lane reporting from neighborhood investment lists, while keeping other benchmarks for APS, bus stop upgrades, TSP, intersection redesigns, ramps, and pedestrian space. Status: in committee; no vote yet.

• File Int 1362-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 13 - A driver struck a man crossing 155th Street near JFK. The car sped off. Medics rushed the victim to the hospital. He died. Police searched for footage. No arrests. The street stayed silent.

NY Daily News (2025-08-13) reports a 52-year-old man was killed crossing 155th St. at South Conduit Ave. near JFK Airport around 2:30 a.m. The driver hit the man and fled. Police said, "The driver sped off without stopping. No arrests have been made." Officers searched for surveillance footage to identify the vehicle. The article notes 68 pedestrians have died in city crashes this year. The hit-and-run highlights ongoing dangers for those on foot and the challenge of holding drivers accountable.

• Queens Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian Near JFK, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-13

Aug 12 - A car tore through an Astoria intersection. It struck a food truck. Two men died on the sidewalk. The driver died too. Metal, flesh, coffee, blood. The street swallowed them. It happened fast. No one stood a chance.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-12), an 84-year-old driver sped through 42nd Street and 19th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, crashing into a food truck and killing two customers and himself. Surveillance showed the car "going about 60 miles an hour" before impact. The article quotes a witness: "Someone screamed really loudly, and I just had stepped back, like right up to the sidewalk." The force severed a victim's foot. The crash highlights the lethal risk when drivers lose control at high speed in pedestrian zones. No charges were filed; the driver died at the scene.

• Speeding Car Slams Food Truck, Kills Two, New York Post, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 11 - A car thief fled cops, leaping into the Atlantic. Officers dove in, fought him in the water, and dragged him to shore. The chase began with a stolen sedan, ended in cold surf, cuffs snapping shut.

NY Daily News (2025-08-11) reports a car thief jumped into the Atlantic off Far Rockaway after police caught him with a stolen Honda. The suspect, Matthew Swafford, used a stolen North Carolina plate. Officers pursued him into the water, as shown in NYPD video. Detective Demerest called, 'Take my belt!' before diving in. Swafford was charged with possession of stolen property and other offenses. The incident highlights risks when suspects flee in stolen vehicles, raising questions about pursuit protocols and the dangers posed by car theft in dense urban areas.

• Car Thief Jumps Far Rockaway Dock, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 8 - Floods drowned Bay Terrace. Streets vanished. Leaders demand signs and real fixes. Pedestrians and cyclists still face danger. Signs warn, but water keeps coming.

On August 8, 2025, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and Council Member Vickie Paladino, joined by State Sen. John Liu and others, called for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation in Bay Terrace. They urged the Department of Transportation to act after flash floods submerged the Cross Island Parkway. The matter, described as a 'call for flood-related street signage and storm mitigation efforts,' saw Richards call signage a 'small step' and Paladino stress the need for warnings. The safety analyst notes these efforts may help general conditions but do not address the core safety needs of pedestrians and cyclists or shift burdens away from vulnerable users.

• Queens leaders call for flood signage and infrastructure in Bay Terrace, AMNY, Published 2025-08-08

Aug 3 - A driver struck an e-bike rider in Queens. A scooter rider crashed in Brooklyn. Both died. Streets claimed them. Police investigate. Lives ended fast. Metal and speed left no room for error.

NY Daily News (2025-08-03) reports two fatal e-vehicle crashes. On July 31, a 62-year-old Nissan Rogue driver hit Zhao Feng Zhen, 55, on Hollis Court Blvd in Queens. The driver remained at the scene; police continue to investigate. On July 12, Eusebio Quinones, 60, lost control of his electric scooter on Union Ave in Brooklyn and died from his injuries days later. The article notes, 'police are still investigating the crash.' These deaths highlight ongoing risks for vulnerable road users on city streets.

• Two Killed In Separate E-Vehicle Crashes, NY Daily News, Published 2025-08-03

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man on 101st Street. The driver sped off after an encounter at the window. Police found the victim with severe trauma. He died at Jamaica Hospital.

According to the New York Post (2025-08-01), a 23-year-old man died after being run over on 101st Street and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. The article reports, "Sonalall approached the driver's side window and flashed what appeared to be a gun, startling the motorist, who then drove off, striking Sonalall." The Queens District Attorney's Office did not charge the driver, citing fear for his life. The incident highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used in moments of conflict. No charges were filed, raising questions about how self-defense is interpreted in car-related deaths.

• Man Killed By Driver In Queens Street, New York Post, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 9 - A battery exploded. Fire roared. Yuet Kiu Cheung, 76, was trapped in smoke and flame inside a Queens pizzeria. She died from her burns. Lithium-ion danger struck again. Four others escaped.

According to the New York Post (2025-07-09), Yuet Kiu Cheung, 76, died after an e-bike battery exploded inside Singas Famous Pizzeria in Flushing, Queens. The FDNY described a 'blowtorch effect' that trapped Cheung as she tried to escape the bathroom. The article notes, 'These fires are treacherous. They move very quickly.' This was the first fatal lithium-ion battery fire in NYC for 2025, with officials citing a rising trend in such incidents. The battery was stored outside the bathroom, highlighting risks of indoor storage and the need for stronger safety measures.

• E-Bike Battery Blast Kills Woman In Queens, New York Post, Published 2025-07-09

Jul 7 - Motorcycle slammed center front. Two teens ejected, legs torn. Police cite driver inexperience, tailgating. No helmets. Passenger and driver hurt. Queens street, danger rides fast.

A motorcycle crashed on 20th Avenue in Queens. Two teens, aged 16 and 18, were ejected and suffered leg injuries. According to the police report, 'Driver Inexperience' and 'Following Too Closely' caused the crash. The driver was unlicensed. Both injured teens wore no safety equipment. The impact struck the center front end of the motorcycle. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report lists no other contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4825963 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Jul 7 - BMW hit divider, flew across highway, struck two cars. Fire followed. Two young lives ended. Others hurt. Concrete, speed, and steel left scars in Queens dawn.

NY Daily News (2025-07-07) reports a BMW crashed into a concrete divider on Queens' Belt Parkway, then vaulted over the highway, hitting two vehicles. The BMW caught fire. Driver Noah Thompson, 24, and passenger Jewel Perez, 22, died after hospital transport. Three other BMW passengers and two other drivers survived with minor or stable injuries. Police noted, "No one in the BMW was wearing a seat belt." Authorities sought a warrant to test the driver's blood for alcohol. The crash highlights high-speed risks and the dangers of divided highways.

• BMW Crash Kills Two on Belt Parkway, NY Daily News, Published 2025-07-07

• Fatally Injured Teenager Is Discovered on Top of a N.Y.C. Subway Car, The New York Times, Published 2025-07-04

Jun 30 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned, derelict cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. No plates, no stickers, no excuses. Police and sanitation must act. Safer crossings for all who walk, ride, or wait.

Bill Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and full Council on June 30, 2025. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation," requires the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours of report. The NYPD must tow cars lacking valid plates or stickers. Prime sponsor Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led, joined by Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, Lincoln Restler, and others. The law targets street hazards, clearing blocked sightlines and crosswalks. It aims to cut risks for pedestrians and cyclists by removing abandoned vehicles fast.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-06-30

Jun 23 - A pickup fleeing police struck Amanda Servedio on her bike. The crash hurled her thirty feet. She died at the scene. The driver, Bekim Fiseku, ran. Police chased him through residential streets. Eight months later, they made an arrest.

According to NY Daily News (2025-06-23), Amanda Servedio, 37, was killed when a Dodge Ram pickup, fleeing NYPD officers, struck her at 37th St. and 34th Ave. in Queens. The driver, Bekim Fiseku, was wanted for burglary and had tape over his license plate. Police chased him nearly a mile through residential streets. A witness said, "She went airborne. She flew like 30 feet. It was a lot of force." The article highlights concerns about NYPD's pursuit tactics, quoting the victim's father: "It was probably not the place to be doing a high-speed chase, in the residential neighborhood." Fiseku faces murder and manslaughter charges. The case raises questions about the risks of police chases in dense city neighborhoods.

• Police Chase Ends With Cyclist Killed, NY Daily News, Published 2025-06-23