South Richmond Hill: Four Dead, No More Excuses

• Cyclist, 26, dies after he’s ‘doored’ by BMW driver in Queens, NY Daily News, Published 2025-10-28

Oct 11 - On 94 Ave at 127 St, a 14‑year‑old moped driver collided with a parked pickup in Queens. He suffered head wounds and severe lacerations. Police recorded driver inattention or distraction.

On 94 Ave at 127 St in Queens, a 14-year-old driving a moped collided with a parked pickup truck. He was the only person hurt. He suffered head trauma and severe lacerations. He was described as incoherent at the scene. According to the police report, "Driver Inattention/Distraction" by the driver was recorded. The pickup was parked and showed no damage. The moped was traveling north and showed front-end damage. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4848999 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

• Queens City Council candidate Jonathan Rinaldi accused of posting fabricated endorsements in District 29 race, AMNY, Published 2025-10-10

Sep 21 - A driver was arraigned on manslaughter and assault charges after a hit-and-run killed an on-duty construction flag worker on the Nassau Expressway. Prosecutors say the case seeks accountability for dangerous driving; the worker did not survive.

"A driver who allegedly ran down a safety flag worker at a construction site in Queens last week, killing her, was arraigned on manslaughter and a list of other charges, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Sunday." -- Melinda R. Katz

This is not a council bill. Matter: "Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway." Event date: 2025-09-21. Status: defendant Daveanand Budhai arraigned on second-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault charges after the fatal collision. Queens District Attorney Melinda R. Katz announced the indictment and pushed for prosecution. No council committee or councilmember sponsorship applies; Barbara Russo-Lennon is listed as the reporting source. Safety impact: prosecutors say accountability can deter dangerous driving — "Prosecuting a hit-and-run driver signals accountability for dangerous driving, which can deter similar behavior and support a culture of safety for vulnerable road users. However, without complementary infrastructure or systemic changes, the impact is likely modest."

• Queens DA: Motorist arraigned after hit-and-run collision that left on-duty construction worker dead on Nassau Expressway, AMNY, Published 2025-09-21

• Woman killed after being pinned under car while crossing Queens intersection, ABC7, Published 2025-09-21

• Female construction worker killed on Queens job site, hit-and-run driver arrested, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-20

Sep 16 - On 101 Ave at 109 St in Queens, a box-truck driver backed and collided with an SUV going straight. The SUV driver, 52, suffered whiplash. Police recorded Backing Unsafely.

Two vehicles collided on 101 Ave at 109 St in Queens. A box-truck driver was backing. An SUV driver was traveling straight west. The SUV driver, a 52-year-old man, reported neck pain and whiplash. "According to the police report, officers recorded Backing Unsafely in the crash." Both vehicles were listed with rear-center damage. NYPD data shows both drivers were licensed. No other injuries were recorded in the dataset. The crash was logged at 4:00 p.m. The truck was a 2019 Freightliner box truck. The SUV was a 2024 Mazda. The record places the crash in the 102nd Precinct area. Collision ID 4843112.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4843112 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

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

• 16-year-old girl struck and killed in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-13

• Brooklyn dad recently retired from NYPD dies with girlfriend in motorcycle crash, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-08

• Video appears to show children operating NYC subway with transit employee, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-03

• Queens bus network redesign faces 1st weekday commute, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-02

Sep 1 - A driver in a Jeep SUV hit the back of a 67-year-old e-bike rider at 120 St and 95 Ave in Queens at 9:20 p.m. The rider went down, stayed conscious, and hurt his arm. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver.

On September 1, 2025, at about 9:20 p.m., a driver in a 2023 Jeep SUV, traveling north on 120 St, went straight and hit the back of a westbound e-bike at 95 Ave in Queens. The crash injured a 67-year-old bicyclist, who was conscious with an arm contusion and was partially ejected. According to the police report, police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction by the driver. The e-bike had center back-end damage; the SUV had center front-end damage. Both were reported as going straight ahead. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839915 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

Aug 8 - A driver in an SUV and a motorcyclist collided at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. The motorcycle driver, 35, was injured — knee, lower leg and foot contusion. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction and Traffic Control Disregarded.

A driver in an SUV collided with a motorcycle at 101 Avenue and 112 Street in Queens. One motorcyclist was hurt. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' are listed as contributing factors. The injured person is a 35-year-old male motorcycle driver, conscious and not ejected, with injury to the knee, lower leg and foot and a contusion. Vehicle records show center front end damage to the motorcycle and left rear quarter panel damage to the SUV. The report logs the crash at 17:00 and lists the involved vehicle types as SUV and motorcycle.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834053 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

Aug 6 - A horse named Lady died in Hell's Kitchen. Photos reignited calls to ban carriages. The City Council stalled. Unions and leaders blocked hearings. Advocates warned of more injuries. Analysts say the ban would have minimal direct effect on pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill 2025, proposed to ban horse-drawn carriages, remained stalled as of August 6, 2025. The measure sits in the City Council health committee chaired by Lynn C. Schulman. Queens Councilman Robert F. Holden is the bill's sponsor. Speaker Adrienne Adams has not publicly taken a position. The article ran under the headline "Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages." Advocates rallied and warned, "without a ban there will be more crashes, injuries, and possibly deaths." TWU Local 100 opposes the ban. The proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages may have minimal direct impact on pedestrian and cyclist safety, as these vehicles are a small share of street traffic; the primary safety risks for vulnerable road users stem from motor vehicles and street design.

• Gruesome images unlikely to sway lawmakers to ban horse-drawn carriages, Crain's New York Business, Published 2025-08-06

Aug 5 - Police car struck at Beach 35th and Rockaway. Three hurt. Sirens cut through Edgemere. Cause unknown. Streets stained. Investigation begins.

CBS New York reported on August 5, 2025, that an NYPD cruiser crashed at Beach 35th Street and Rockaway Freeway in Edgemere, Queens. Three people were injured. The article states, 'Police are now trying to determine the cause of the crash.' No details on driver actions or contributing factors were released. The incident highlights risks at busy intersections and the need for thorough investigation when emergency vehicles are involved.

• NYPD Cruiser Crash Injures Three In Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-08-05

Aug 1 - A teen drove a BMW at 100 mph without a license. He lost control. The car hit a truck. Fourteen-year-old Fortune Williams was ejected and killed. The driver now faces prison. Parents faced charges too.

Gothamist (2025-08-01) reports an 18-year-old Queens resident was sentenced to up to four years for a 2023 crash that killed 14-year-old Fortune Williams. The teen, unlicensed and speeding at over 100 mph in a 30-mph zone, lost control and struck a parked UPS truck. Prosecutors said he only had a learner's permit and had been previously ticketed for unlicensed driving. His parents, who gave him the BMW, were convicted of child endangerment. DA Melinda Katz called it 'a landmark case where both an unlicensed teenage driver and his parents were held responsible.' The case highlights failures in supervision and enforcement.

• Unlicensed Teen Driver Kills Passenger, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 22 - SUV hit a 17-year-old cyclist on 127th Street. The teen was thrown, injured his arm. Police cite failure to yield and driver distraction. The street stayed open. The system failed the rider.

A 17-year-old bicyclist was struck and injured by an SUV making a left turn on 127th Street at 101st Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The teen cyclist suffered arm abrasions and was partially ejected from his bike. The SUV driver, a 60-year-old man, was not reported injured. The report lists no helmet or signaling issues for the cyclist. The crash highlights the danger when drivers fail to yield and pay attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4829927 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

Jul 16 - The driver of a taxi disregarded traffic control and hit a cyclist on 95 Ave near the Van Wyck Expressway. The 29-year-old man suffered a contusion to his knee and lower leg. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver.

A taxi and a bicycle collided on 95 Ave near the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens. The driver of a taxi hit a 29-year-old male cyclist. The cyclist was treated for a contusion to his knee and lower leg. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' Both the taxi and the bicycle were traveling straight when the taxi struck the cyclist; the report lists the taxi's center front end and the bike's left side doors as points of impact. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver as a contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4828317 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-04

Jul 14 - Council bill lets ambulettes drive and double-park in bus lanes. More vehicles in bus lanes mean more risk for people walking, biking, and waiting at curbs. Danger grows where curb chaos reigns.

Bill Int 1339-2025 sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure since July 14, 2025. The bill, titled 'A Local Law to amend the administrative code...exempting ambulettes from certain bus lane restrictions and allowing them to double park to assist passengers,' would let ambulettes drive, stop, and double-park in bus lanes to help passengers. Council Member Julie Menin sponsors, joined by Linda Lee, Frank Morano, Eric Dinowitz, Lynn C. Schulman, Kamillah Hanks, Carlina Rivera, and Chris Banks. Allowing more vehicles to double-park and block bus lanes increases risk for pedestrians and cyclists at the curb. The city’s most vulnerable will face more conflict and less safe space.

• File Int 1339-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-07-14