Richmond Hill Bleeds While Leaders Stall: Lower the Speed, Save a Life

May 31 - Senate passed S 5602 to keep school zone speed cameras running longer. More eyes on reckless drivers. Lawmakers push back against speeding near kids. The vote was clear. The danger remains.

Bill S 5602, titled 'Relates to the hours of operation of a school zone speed camera demonstration program,' passed the Senate on May 25, 2022, and the Assembly on June 2, 2022. The bill extends the hours that speed cameras operate in New York City school zones. Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, with co-sponsors Biaggi, Cleare, Gianaris, Hoylman, Jackson, Kavanagh, Krueger, Myrie, Persaud, Ramos, Rivera, and Sepulveda. The measure saw strong support in both chambers, despite some opposition. The bill aims to keep cameras watching when children are at risk. More enforcement, more accountability. The fight for safer streets continues.

• File S 5602, Open States, Published 2022-05-31

May 30 - A 58-year-old motorcyclist was injured on the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens. The motorcycle struck the left rear quarter panel of a vehicle changing lanes. The rider suffered abrasions to his elbow and lower arm but was conscious and helmeted.

According to the police report, a motorcycle traveling south on the Van Wyck Expressway collided with the left rear quarter panel of a vehicle that was changing lanes improperly. The motorcycle driver, a 58-year-old man wearing a helmet, sustained abrasions to his elbow and lower arm. The report lists "Passing or Lane Usage Improper" as the contributing factor, indicating the vehicle's lane change caused the crash. The motorcyclist was not ejected and remained conscious after the collision. Vehicle damage was limited to the motorcycle's undercarriage, while the other vehicle showed no damage. The crash highlights the dangers of improper lane changes on busy roadways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4532932 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 25 - Senate passed S 5602 to keep school zone speed cameras running longer. More eyes on reckless drivers. Lawmakers push back against speeding near kids. The vote was clear. The danger remains.

Bill S 5602, titled 'Relates to the hours of operation of a school zone speed camera demonstration program,' passed the Senate on May 25, 2022, and the Assembly on June 2, 2022. The bill extends the hours that speed cameras operate in New York City school zones. Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, with co-sponsors Biaggi, Cleare, Gianaris, Hoylman, Jackson, Kavanagh, Krueger, Myrie, Persaud, Ramos, Rivera, and Sepulveda. The measure saw strong support in both chambers, despite some opposition. The bill aims to keep cameras watching when children are at risk. More enforcement, more accountability. The fight for safer streets continues.

• File S 5602, Open States, Published 2022-05-25

May 25 - Senate passed S 3897. More state cash flows to cities that build complete streets. Lawmakers push for safer roads. Pedestrians and cyclists get a shot at survival.

Bill S 3897 cleared the Senate committee on March 2, 2022, with a final vote on May 25, 2022. The bill, titled 'Relates to complete street design features and funding of construction and improvements at a municipalities' expense,' boosts state funding for transportation projects when cities add complete street features. Senator Kennedy sponsored the bill. Senators including Cooney, Gallivan, Kaminsky, Kaplan, Liu, and others voted yes. The measure aims to tie state money to safer street design, pushing municipalities to build roads that protect people outside cars.

• File S 3897, Open States, Published 2022-05-25

May 23 - Albany passed A 8936. Cities get more state cash if they build complete streets. Lawmakers want safer roads. The bill sailed through both chambers. Money now follows safety.

Bill A 8936, titled 'Relates to complete street design features and funding of construction and improvements at a municipalities' expense,' passed the Assembly on May 23, 2022, and the Senate on June 1, 2022. The bill boosts state funding for transportation projects when municipalities add complete street features. Assemblymember Fahy led as primary sponsor, joined by Hunter, Seawright, Woerner, and others. The Assembly and Senate both voted yes, with broad support. The law aims to push cities to design streets for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers—by tying state dollars to safety upgrades.

• File A 8936, Open States, Published 2022-05-23

May 23 - Albany passed A 8936. Cities get more state cash if they build complete streets. Lawmakers want safer roads. The bill sailed through both chambers. Money now follows safety.

Bill A 8936, titled 'Relates to complete street design features and funding of construction and improvements at a municipalities' expense,' passed the Assembly on May 23, 2022, and the Senate on June 1, 2022. The bill boosts state funding for transportation projects when municipalities add complete street features. Assemblymember Fahy led as primary sponsor, joined by Hunter, Seawright, Woerner, and others. The Assembly and Senate both voted yes, with broad support. The law aims to push cities to design streets for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers—by tying state dollars to safety upgrades.

• File A 8936, Open States, Published 2022-05-23

May 23 - Senate and Assembly passed S 1078. New drivers must now learn how to avoid hitting people on foot or bike. Law aims to cut crashes at the root—before drivers get the keys.

Bill S 1078, introduced in the Senate on April 27, 2021, requires pedestrian and bicyclist safety instruction in the drivers pre-licensing course. The bill moved through committee and passed the Senate and Assembly, with key votes on May 20, 2021, February 1, 2022, May 16, 2022, and May 23, 2022. The matter summary reads: 'Requires instruction in pedestrian and bicyclist safety as part of the drivers pre-licensing course.' Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, joined by Bailey, Biaggi, Brisport, Cleare, Comrie, and others. The measure targets driver ignorance, a root cause of deadly crashes, by putting vulnerable road users at the center of driver education.

• File S 1078, Open States, Published 2022-05-23

May 23 - Albany passed A 8936. Cities get more state cash if they build complete streets. Lawmakers want safer roads. The bill sailed through both chambers. Money now follows safety.

Bill A 8936, titled 'Relates to complete street design features and funding of construction and improvements at a municipalities' expense,' passed the Assembly on May 23, 2022, and the Senate on June 1, 2022. The bill boosts state funding for transportation projects when municipalities add complete street features. Assemblymember Fahy led as primary sponsor, joined by Hunter, Seawright, Woerner, and others. The Assembly and Senate both voted yes, with broad support. The law aims to push cities to design streets for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers—by tying state dollars to safety upgrades.

• File A 8936, Open States, Published 2022-05-23

May 23 - Senate and Assembly passed S 1078. New drivers must now learn how to avoid hitting people on foot or bike. Law aims to cut crashes at the root—before drivers get the keys.

Bill S 1078, introduced in the Senate on April 27, 2021, requires pedestrian and bicyclist safety instruction in the drivers pre-licensing course. The bill moved through committee and passed the Senate and Assembly, with key votes on May 20, 2021, February 1, 2022, May 16, 2022, and May 23, 2022. The matter summary reads: 'Requires instruction in pedestrian and bicyclist safety as part of the drivers pre-licensing course.' Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, joined by Bailey, Biaggi, Brisport, Cleare, Comrie, and others. The measure targets driver ignorance, a root cause of deadly crashes, by putting vulnerable road users at the center of driver education.

• File S 1078, Open States, Published 2022-05-23

May 16 - Senate and Assembly passed S 1078. New drivers must now learn how to avoid hitting people on foot or bike. Law aims to cut crashes at the root—before drivers get the keys.

Bill S 1078, introduced in the Senate on April 27, 2021, requires pedestrian and bicyclist safety instruction in the drivers pre-licensing course. The bill moved through committee and passed the Senate and Assembly, with key votes on May 20, 2021, February 1, 2022, May 16, 2022, and May 23, 2022. The matter summary reads: 'Requires instruction in pedestrian and bicyclist safety as part of the drivers pre-licensing course.' Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, joined by Bailey, Biaggi, Brisport, Cleare, Comrie, and others. The measure targets driver ignorance, a root cause of deadly crashes, by putting vulnerable road users at the center of driver education.

• File S 1078, Open States, Published 2022-05-16

May 16 - Senate passed S 5130. The bill pushes complete street design. It aims for safe access for all. Pedestrians and cyclists get a shot at safer roads. The vote was split, but the bill moved forward.

Senate bill S 5130, titled 'Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles,' passed committee votes on March 2 and May 16, 2022. Senator Kennedy sponsored the bill. Support came from members like Jeremy Cooney, Anna Kaplan, and John Liu. Dissent came from Patrick Gallivan and Susan Serino. The bill pushes cities to design roads for everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. It marks a shift from car-first planning. The measure aims to cut risk for people outside cars. Full vote details and text are at the New York Senate website.

• File S 5130, Open States, Published 2022-05-16

May 3 - A speeding SUV struck a parked SUV on Atlantic Avenue in Queens. The driver, a 31-year-old man, suffered head abrasions but was conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness. The impact damaged the right front bumper and left rear quarter panel.

According to the police report, a 31-year-old male driver traveling east in a 2010 Chevrolet SUV collided with a parked 2022 Acura SUV on Atlantic Avenue in Queens. The driver was injured, sustaining head abrasions but remained conscious and was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists "Unsafe Speed" as a contributing factor to the crash. The moving vehicle impacted the parked SUV's left rear quarter panel with its right front bumper. No other occupants were involved. The driver held a valid New York license. The crash caused damage to both vehicles but no ejections or fatalities.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4526345 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 20 - A 48-year-old man on a bike struck by a vehicle on 115 Street at Atlantic Avenue. He suffered fractured, dislocated facial bones. Police cite failure to yield. The cyclist stayed conscious.

According to the police report, a 48-year-old male bicyclist traveling east on 115 Street near Atlantic Avenue in Queens was struck by a vehicle going south. The bicyclist suffered facial fractures and dislocations. Police list "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" as a contributing factor. The cyclist was not ejected and remained conscious after the crash. No other driver errors or victim actions were noted in the report. The report states the cyclist was not wearing safety equipment at the time.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4521146 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 16 - A 16-year-old girl was struck by a northbound sedan on Lefferts Boulevard in Queens. She suffered bruises and upper leg injuries while crossing outside a crosswalk. The sedan hit her center front, causing moderate injury. The driver was licensed.

According to the police report, a 16-year-old female pedestrian was injured while crossing Lefferts Boulevard outside a crosswalk. The northbound sedan struck her with its center front end, causing contusions and upper leg injuries. The pedestrian was conscious and sustained moderate injury severity. The driver, a licensed male, was traveling straight ahead at the time of impact. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The pedestrian's crossing location was noted as 'Pedestrian Not at Intersection,' with unspecified contributing factors. No helmet or signaling issues were recorded. The vehicle sustained damage to its center front end.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4521844 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 16 - An SUV struck a parked sedan’s left rear quarter panel on Babbage Street in Queens. The sedan’s driver, a 32-year-old man, suffered a head abrasion but was conscious and restrained. Unsafe speed was cited as a contributing factor in the crash.

According to the police report, an SUV traveling north on Babbage Street collided with a parked sedan’s left rear quarter panel. The sedan’s 32-year-old male driver was injured, sustaining a head abrasion but remained conscious and was wearing a lap belt and harness. The report lists unsafe speed as the contributing factor. The sedan was stationary at the time of impact. The SUV driver was licensed in Florida and traveling straight ahead. No other driver errors or victim actions were noted. The crash caused damage to both vehicles’ rear and front ends respectively.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4519452 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Mar 26 - An e-bike rider was injured on Atlantic Avenue in Queens. A vehicle attempted to pass improperly, striking the bike head-on. The rider suffered abrasions and full-body injury but was conscious and not ejected. The crash exposed dangerous lane usage errors.

According to the police report, a 65-year-old male e-bike rider was injured in a crash on Atlantic Avenue near 111 Street in Queens. The report states the crash involved an improper passing maneuver by another vehicle traveling eastbound. The e-bike rider was going straight ahead when struck at the center front end. The rider sustained abrasions and injuries to the entire body but remained conscious and was not ejected. The contributing factor listed is "Passing or Lane Usage Improper," indicating the driver’s error caused the collision. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4513934 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 23 - A pedestrian was crushed three times at a deadly Queens crossing. DOT chief Rodriguez vowed swift action: raised crosswalks, new signals, lane changes. Council Member Holden demanded more time to cross, enforcement, and real protection. Residents called it traffic violence.

On February 23, 2022, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez pledged immediate safety improvements at a notorious Queens intersection, after a pedestrian was run over three times by two drivers. The agency cited 'raised crosswalks, pedestrian-only signal timing, new lane markings and other lane redesigns' as part of its response. Council Member Bob Holden, speaking at the scene, pressed for longer crossing times, raised crosswalks, and enforcement against illegal parking and reckless driving. Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar called the situation 'traffic violence,' demanding stronger city control over speed limits and cameras. The redesign is part of Mayor Adams's plan to fix 1,000 dangerous intersections. Residents and advocates highlighted the ongoing threat from large vehicles and a culture of reckless driving. DOT has already installed a pedestrian-only signal phase at the site.

• DOT Commish Promises Safety Improvements at Queens Intersection Where Pedestrian Was Run Over Three Times, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-02-23

Feb 15 - Police finally charged Christian Soriano for killing Darwin Durazno, a teen cyclist, in College Point. Soriano, unlicensed, fled after swerving into oncoming traffic and striking Durazno. The arrest came months later. Most hit-and-run drivers in New York escape justice.

On February 9, 2022, NYPD arrested Christian Soriano, 27, for the June 4, 2021 hit-and-run crash that killed 16-year-old cyclist Darwin Durazno in College Point, Queens. Soriano faces manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and leaving the scene charges. The crash happened when Soriano, driving a Toyota Camry, swerved into oncoming traffic and struck Durazno, who later died from severe head trauma. The car, a rental, was found nearby. Witnesses described Soriano as he fled on foot. Despite these leads, it took eight months to make an arrest. The matter highlights systemic failure: in 2020, NYPD made arrests in only 0.8 percent of hit-and-run cases involving injuries or property damage. Even in serious injury cases, arrests are rare. Vulnerable road users remain at risk while most drivers evade consequences.

• Cops Charge Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed Queens Cyclist Last Year, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-02-15

Jan 21 - A 71-year-old woman was injured when an SUV backing north on Hillside Avenue hit her outside the roadway. The impact bruised her abdomen and pelvis. The driver failed to back safely, causing the collision. She remained conscious after the crash.

According to the police report, a 71-year-old female pedestrian was injured by a 2021 Hyundai SUV backing unsafely on Hillside Avenue in Queens. The vehicle struck her at the center back end while she was not in the roadway. The pedestrian suffered contusions and bruises to her abdomen and pelvis but remained conscious. The report lists "Backing Unsafely" as the primary contributing factor. The driver was licensed and traveling north before the crash. No other contributing factors or victim errors were noted. The collision caused damage to the center back end of the SUV.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4496220 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 13 - A speeding Mercedes driver killed a delivery man in Queens. The DA declined charges. In deposition, the driver showed little remorse. She blamed her car, denied fault, and dodged questions. The victim’s family pursues civil justice. Systemic failures shield deadly drivers.

On April 29, 2021, Maro Andrianou, driving a Mercedes-Benz, struck and killed delivery worker Xing Long Lin on 35th Street near Ditmars Boulevard in Queens. The case never reached criminal court. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz declined to prosecute, citing Andrianou’s claim that her car accelerated uncontrollably after a minor rear tap. Video evidence contradicted this, showing only a light bump. In a December 8, 2021, deposition for a civil suit, Andrianou showed little remorse, blaming her car and denying responsibility. Attorneys for Lin’s family called her defense 'fabricated.' Katz’s decision left the victim’s family with only civil recourse. The case underscores how drivers who kill often escape criminal accountability, leaving vulnerable road users at risk.

• Driver Who Killed Delivery Man Offered Little Remorse, Few Answers During Deposition, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-01-13