Bay Terrace–Clearview: Blood on the Parkways

Feb 5 - A man slammed his Mercedes into a stopped car on the Whitestone Expressway. The impact threw an MTA worker onto the pavement. The driver ran. The worker died. Police found the abandoned car. The driver had no license.

NY Daily News reported on February 5, 2025, that James Vennitti, 63, was arrested for a deadly hit-and-run on the Whitestone Expressway in Queens. On February 10, 2024, Vennitti allegedly rear-ended David Berney, 43, after Berney and another driver stopped in the middle lane following a minor collision. The crash threw Berney from his car, killing him at the scene. The other driver was injured. Vennitti, unlicensed, abandoned his Mercedes and fled on foot. Police arrested him a year later. A grand jury indicted Vennitti for leaving the scene of a fatal crash and driving without a license. The case highlights the lethal risk of unlicensed driving and the dangers of stopped vehicles on high-speed roads.

• Unlicensed Driver Flees Queens Fatal Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-02-05

Jan 22 - A Toyota RAV4 jumped the curb on 90th Avenue, slammed into a garage, and collapsed the structure. The driver, Mamadou Barry, was trapped. First responders pulled him out, but he died at the hospital. No other injuries reported.

According to NY Daily News (2025-01-22), Mamadou Barry, 63, was driving his Toyota RAV4 along 90th Ave. in Jamaica, Queens, around 5:20 a.m. when he lost control, hopped a curb at 143rd St., and crashed into a detached garage. The impact caused the garage to collapse onto both his SUV and a parked, unoccupied Prius. Police said Barry was trapped and later died at Jamaica Hospital. The article notes, 'he lost control of the SUV, which went crashing into a detached garage in Queens, police said.' Family members stated Barry had no known medical issues. The cause of the crash remains unclear. No other injuries were reported. The incident highlights the dangers faced by drivers and bystanders in residential areas where structures sit close to the street.

• Uber Driver Dies in Queens Crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-01-22

Jan 14 - Opponents of congestion pricing use subway crime to stir fear and block change. Data shows streets are deadlier than trains. Riders keep riding. Politicians and advocates clash. The real danger: distraction from fixing transit and protecting people on foot and bike.

""They laugh at your concerns because they don't care. Nothing changes because they don't care. And now this moron is going to get billions more dollars on the backs of working people to pad his completely dysfunctional and unaccountable agency -- and openly celebrate it."" -- Vickie Paladino

On January 14, 2025, a public debate erupted over congestion pricing and subway safety in New York City. The matter, titled "Masters of Deflection: Congestion Pricing Foes Stoke Fear of Subway Crime," highlights how some council members and political groups use concerns about subway crime to oppose congestion pricing. Councilwoman Vickie Paladino voiced strong opposition, while advocates like Sara Lind and Ben Furnas countered that such arguments ignore real solutions and endanger transit funding. The article notes, 'Data shows the subway is statistically safer than city streets for both pedestrians and drivers.' Despite visible homelessness and high-profile crimes, most riders continue to use the subway. The debate exposes how fear is weaponized to block policies that could reduce traffic violence and improve safety for vulnerable road users. No direct safety analyst assessment was provided.

• Masters of Deflection: Congestion Pricing Foes Stoke Fear of Subway Crime, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-01-14

Jan 13 - Senate bill S 1675 would force carmakers to face the facts. Every vehicle gets a pedestrian safety score. The public sees it. No more hiding danger behind steel and glass.

Senate bill S 1675, now at the sponsorship stage, sits with the New York State Senate. Filed January 13, 2025, it aims to 'create a pedestrian safety rating system for motor vehicles which shall be posted on the department of motor vehicles' website.' Senator Andrew Gounardes leads, joined by Leroy Comrie, Michael Gianaris, Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Robert Jackson, Liz Krueger, Zellnor Myrie, Gustavo Rivera, Julia Salazar, Luis R. Sepúlveda, and Toby Ann Stavisky. The bill demands transparency. It would show the public which cars endanger walkers and which spare them. No safety analyst has yet weighed in, but the intent is clear: expose the risk, protect the vulnerable.

• File S 1675, Open States, Published 2025-01-13

Dec 17 - Two vehicles collided on 212 Street in Queens during simultaneous passing maneuvers. A front-seat passenger suffered neck injuries from the impact. Both drivers faced limited visibility, contributing to the crash’s violent contact and injury.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 11:40 on 212 Street near 23 Avenue in Queens. Both vehicles, a 2017 SUV and a 2010 sedan, were traveling south and engaged in passing maneuvers when they collided. The SUV’s right front quarter panel struck the sedan’s left front bumper. The report cites 'View Obstructed/Limited' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors, indicating driver errors in judgment and lane use under compromised visibility. A 51-year-old female front-seat passenger in the SUV was injured, sustaining a neck injury described as whiplash. She was conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness. The collision’s impact and driver errors highlight systemic dangers in passing on limited-visibility streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4779561 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Dec 12 - A 13-year-old girl was injured crossing a marked crosswalk on 17 Ave in Queens. The SUV driver failed to yield right-of-way and was inattentive, striking her with the vehicle's left front bumper. She suffered abrasions to her elbow and lower arm.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 14:40 on 17 Ave in Queens. A 13-year-old female pedestrian was crossing a marked crosswalk without a signal when she was struck by a 2019 Honda SUV making a left turn. The point of impact was the vehicle's left front bumper. The pedestrian sustained abrasions and injuries to her elbow and lower arm but remained conscious. The report explicitly cites the driver's failure to yield right-of-way and driver inattention or distraction as contributing factors. No pedestrian errors or helmet use were noted as contributing. The collision highlights the dangers posed by drivers failing to yield and distracted driving in intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4778370 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Nov 27 - A BMW crashed head-on along Cross Island Parkway. The front passenger’s leg split open, blood soaking the seat. He stayed conscious, harnessed by his belt. The night air hung heavy as the road showed no mercy.

A violent crash unfolded on Cross Island Parkway near 201st Street in Queens, when a BMW sedan slammed front-first, according to the police report. The report details that the front passenger, a 39-year-old man, suffered a severe leg injury described as 'Knee-Lower Leg Foot' trauma, with 'Severe Bleeding.' He remained conscious and was held in place by a lap belt and harness. The narrative states, 'A BMW slammed front-first. The passenger’s leg split open. Blood soaked the seat. He stayed awake. The belt held him in place.' The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified,' providing no further detail on what led to the crash. The impact was concentrated at the center front end of the vehicle. No driver errors are explicitly cited in the report. The focus remains on the force of the collision and the injuries suffered by the passenger.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4774882 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Nov 10 - A distracted driver veered on Cross Island Parkway. Cars smashed. Metal bent. One driver bruised. Inattention behind the wheel set off the chain of impact.

According to the police report, a crash erupted at 23:10 on Cross Island Parkway when a driver changed lanes while distracted. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the cause. Four vehicles, including sedans and SUVs, were involved. One driver, a 22-year-old woman, suffered a bruised elbow and lower arm. She was conscious and not ejected. The crash battered rear quarter panels and front ends of the cars. The data shows no other contributing factors. Driver inattention triggered the collision, exposing the risk faced by all on high-speed city roads.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4770309 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Oct 13 - Two sedans collided head-to-tail on Bell Boulevard. The front passenger suffered a back injury and whiplash. Police cited driver inattention and following too closely as causes. Both vehicles were traveling eastbound when the crash occurred.

According to the police report, two sedans traveling eastbound on Bell Boulevard collided in a rear-end crash. The impact occurred at the center back end of the lead vehicle and the center front end of the trailing vehicle. The front passenger in one sedan, a 35-year-old woman, was injured with back pain and whiplash but was not ejected and was conscious. She was wearing a lap belt. The report lists driver errors including 'Following Too Closely' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. Both drivers were licensed and driving straight ahead. No pedestrian or cyclist was involved. The collision highlights the dangers of tailgating and distracted driving on this stretch of roadway.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4763559 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Oct 6 - Two SUVs collided on Cross Island Parkway. The rear SUV hit the front SUV’s center back end. The front driver, a 51-year-old woman, suffered whiplash. Police list no driver errors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

According to the police report, two sport utility vehicles crashed on Cross Island Parkway at 11:45 PM. The rear SUV struck the center back end of the front SUV. The front driver, a 51-year-old woman, was injured with whiplash but remained conscious and restrained. Both drivers were licensed in New York. The report lists contributing factors as unspecified, with no mention of driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved, and no victim actions are listed as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4761317 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 26 - Council ends jaywalking penalties. Pedestrians now cross anywhere, any time. No summons. Law strips drivers of excuses. Streets shift. Power tilts to people on foot.

Int 0346-2024, now enacted, rewrites New York’s pedestrian rules. The bill, heard by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, passed on September 26, 2024, and became law on October 26, 2024. Its title: “A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to pedestrian crossing guidelines and right of way.” Sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán and co-sponsored by Narcisse, Won, Hanif, Hudson, and Restler, the law lets pedestrians cross streets anywhere, even against signals. No more tickets for crossing outside crosswalks. The Department of Transportation must educate all street users on new rights and responsibilities. The law removes a tool police used to target walkers. It shifts blame from people on foot to the system and those behind the wheel.

• File Int 0346-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-09-26

Sep 21 - Two sedans collided on Clearview Expressway at dusk. The rear vehicle, driven by a distracted 66-year-old man, struck the front car’s center back end. The driver suffered a back injury but remained conscious and restrained by a lap belt.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 18:46 on Clearview Expressway involving two sedans traveling north. The 66-year-old male driver of the rear vehicle was injured, sustaining back trauma and remained conscious. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Following Too Closely' as contributing factors for the rear driver. The front vehicle, a GMC sedan driven by a licensed female driver, was struck at its center back end while making a right turn. Both vehicles sustained damage at the point of impact. The injured driver was wearing a lap belt and was not ejected. The collision highlights driver errors related to distraction and unsafe following distance, with no contributing victim behaviors noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4757605 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 15 - Two sedans collided on 15 Drive in Queens. The female driver of one vehicle suffered abdominal and pelvic injuries, along with whiplash and shock. Police cited driver inattention and distraction as key factors in the crash.

According to the police report, the crash occurred at 19:48 on 15 Drive near 166 Street in Queens. Two sedans, a 2021 Honda and a 2022 Subaru, collided while both were traveling straight ahead in different directions. The point of impact was the right rear quarter panel of the Honda and the center front end of the Subaru. The female driver of the Honda, age 22, was injured with abdominal and pelvic trauma, whiplash, and was in shock. She was wearing a lap belt and was not ejected. The report identifies 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor, indicating a failure in driver focus led to the collision. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4756188 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Sep 11 - A 34-year-old man was injured crossing Willets Point Boulevard in a marked crosswalk. The SUV driver failed to yield right-of-way, striking the pedestrian’s lower leg and knee. The impact caused abrasions but no vehicle damage was reported.

According to the police report, at 6:09 AM on Willets Point Boulevard near 166 Street, a 2018 Honda SUV traveling north struck a 34-year-old male pedestrian crossing in a marked crosswalk without a signal. The pedestrian suffered injuries to his knee, lower leg, and foot, described as abrasions and categorized as injury severity level 3. The report identifies the driver’s failure to yield right-of-way as the primary contributing factor. The SUV’s point of impact was the center front end, yet no vehicle damage was recorded. The pedestrian was conscious at the scene. The report does not cite any pedestrian behaviors as contributing factors beyond the driver’s failure to yield. This crash highlights the dangers posed by drivers not yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4754759 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 30 - A southbound SUV struck the rear of a sedan on Bell Boulevard. The sedan driver, a 39-year-old woman, suffered neck injuries and shock. Police cite the SUV driver’s failure to maintain safe distance as the cause of the collision.

According to the police report, at 8:55 a.m., a 2022 SUV traveling south on Bell Boulevard rear-ended a 2003 sedan also heading south. The point of impact was the SUV's center back end striking the sedan's center front end. The sedan driver, a 39-year-old woman, was injured with neck pain and experienced shock, wearing a lap belt at the time. The report identifies "Following Too Closely" as the contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver failed to maintain a safe distance behind the sedan. Both drivers were licensed females from New York. The SUV sustained damage to its rear center, while the sedan showed no damage. No other contributing factors or victim behaviors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752632 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 29 - New York will close 71 streets to cars outside schools this fall. The city adds more car-free zones for kids. Streets once deadly will now be safer for walking, play, and learning. The move targets neighborhoods hit hardest by crashes.

On August 29, 2024, the Department of Transportation announced a record 71 school streets will close to cars this fall. The expansion, not tied to a specific council bill, builds on the Open Streets program, made permanent in 2021. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodríguez said, 'We have created a new framework to give this space back to our school children.' Councilwoman Vickie Paladino celebrated the new open street at PS 129, calling it a win for safe pick-up, drop-off, and play. Funding comes from the Public Space Equity Program, with $30 million focused on under-resourced areas. Street Lab will provide programming and street furniture. The program responds to past investigations showing higher crash and injury rates outside schools, especially in poorer neighborhoods. The city will directly fund management and operations starting in 2025, aiming to make these safety gains permanent.

• More Safe School Streets Coming To NYC This Fall, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-29

Aug 25 - Two SUVs met head-on on Cross Island Parkway. Steel ripped. Roofs caved. A ten-year-old boy and a thirty-four-year-old woman were crushed in their seats. Five people injured. Speed and failure to yield tore lives apart in the night.

According to the police report, two sport utility vehicles collided head-on on Cross Island Parkway at 10:15 p.m. The impact was catastrophic: 'Roofs folded. Steel tore. A 10-year-old boy and a 34-year-old woman crushed in their seats. Five injured. All awake. All broken.' The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors for at least one vehicle. The narrative underscores that 'speed was too much. Yielding came too late.' Both the child and the woman, along with three others, suffered crush injuries to their entire bodies. All occupants were conscious but injured. The data points to driver actions—excessive speed and failure to yield—as the primary causes of this violent crash. No contributing factors are attributed to the victims.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4750683 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 22 - A motorcycle rider was ejected and suffered severe arm injuries after an SUV changed lanes unsafely on Cross Island Parkway. The collision struck the motorcycle’s front center, throwing the rider from the vehicle. The SUV’s right rear bumper was damaged.

According to the police report, the crash occurred on Cross Island Parkway at 16:25. A motorcycle traveling south was struck on its center front end by a southbound SUV that was changing lanes. The report cites "Unsafe Lane Changing" as the contributing factor, indicating the SUV driver’s error. The motorcycle rider, a 40-year-old male wearing a helmet, was ejected from the vehicle and sustained a fracture and dislocation to his elbow, lower arm, and hand. The SUV, carrying two occupants, suffered damage to its center back end and right rear bumper. The motorcycle rider was conscious but seriously injured. No contributing factors related to the victim’s behavior were noted in the report. The collision highlights the dangers posed by unsafe lane changes to vulnerable motorcyclists.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4749955 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 15 - City law now forces DOT to reveal where bikes and scooters go. Streets and bridges, protected or not. Data goes public. Riders’ movement, danger, and safety projects laid bare. No more hiding the facts.

Int 0745-2024, now enacted, came through the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It was introduced April 11, 2024, and passed on August 15, 2024. The law orders the Department of Transportation to post current bicycle and micromobility ridership data online, updated monthly or at least yearly. The matter summary reads: 'requiring the department of transportation to provide information about bicycle and other micromobility device activity.' Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led as primary sponsor, joined by Farías, Restler, Hudson, Schulman, and others. The law demands transparency on where riders travel and what DOT does to keep them safe. This opens the books on bike movement and exposes gaps in protection.

• File Int 0745-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2024-08-15

Aug 3 - A Volkswagen SUV was struck from behind on Cross Island Parkway. The back end folded in. Inside, a 29-year-old man, belted and alone, suffered crush injuries. The road stayed open. His body bore the cost.

A 2013 Volkswagen SUV traveling north on Cross Island Parkway was struck from behind, according to the police report. The impact crumpled the center back end of the vehicle. Inside, a 29-year-old male driver, described as 'belted and alone,' was found conscious but with crush wounds across his entire body. The police report states the driver was not ejected and was using a lap belt and harness. The narrative details, 'The back end crumpled. Inside, a 29-year-old man, belted and alone, lay conscious with crush wounds across his body.' The report lists the contributing factor as 'Unspecified,' offering no further details about the actions of the striking driver or vehicle. The collision left the driver with severe injuries, underscoring the lethal consequences of rear-end impacts on New York City roads.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4745122 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18