Ozone Park Bleeds While Politicians Stall

• 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 27 - A westbound sedan driver on Rockaway Boulevard hit a 10-year-old girl at 97th Street in Queens. She suffered leg crush injuries. Police recorded driver inexperience and following too closely by the driver.

According to the police report, a driver in a sedan traveling west on Rockaway Boulevard hit a 10-year-old pedestrian at 97th Street in Queens. The child was injured in the lower leg and foot and suffered documented crush injuries. Police recorded driver inexperience and following too closely by the driver. The crash happened at an intersection. The point of impact was the left front bumper, and the vehicle showed center front-end damage. No other injuries were listed in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839983 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 26 - Two cars met hard at Linden and 96th. Metal bit metal. Three passengers hurt. A westbound sedan took the hit in its left side. Distraction ruled the scene. Queens bled and kept moving.

Two vehicles collided at Linden Boulevard and 96 St in Queens, involving a northbound SUV and a westbound sedan. Three occupants were injured: a 50-year-old female rear passenger, a 36-year-old female driver, and a 23-year-old female rear passenger. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Driver Inattention/Distraction” and “Driver Inexperience.” The sedan sustained damage to the left side doors; the SUV showed center-front damage. The report lists distraction and inexperience for involved drivers and occupants, pointing to preventable driver error. No pedestrians or cyclists were reported injured. The data does not cite signals or helmets as factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4839245 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 23 - Two sedans collided at Rockaway Boulevard and Woodhaven in Queens. Both drivers suffered elbow and arm injuries with minor bleeding. Police cited driver inattention/distraction. Both cars hit at the left-front bumpers.

The driver in an Audi traveling northeast and the driver in a Nissan traveling east collided at Rockaway Boulevard near Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens. Both drivers were injured. Each complained of elbow, lower-arm and hand wounds and minor bleeding. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Driver Inattention/Distraction." Police data show both vehicles were going straight and both had left-front bumper impacts. Both drivers were not ejected and were reported wearing lap belts and harnesses. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed. The report records driver inattention as the error and ties damage to front-left impacts between the two sedans.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836938 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 14 - On Liberty Ave at 88 St, an SUV cut left and hit a westbound cyclist. The rider went down. Bruised arm. Driver distraction cited. Improper turn listed. Another night, another bike versus steel on Queens asphalt.

A 2012 SUV turning left from Liberty Ave at 88 St hit a westbound bicyclist. The cyclist, a 32-year-old man, sustained a contusion to the arm and remained conscious. According to the police report, contributing factors were “Driver Inattention/Distraction” and “Other Vehicular.” The driver’s actions also included “Turning Improperly,” and the SUV’s center front end struck the bike. The bicyclist was traveling straight ahead. Driver errors—distraction and an improper turn—are documented. The report lists the bicyclist’s safety equipment as “Other,” noted after the driver factors. This crash underscores the danger of a left-turning SUV crossing a cyclist’s path on Liberty Avenue in Queens.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4837316 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 13 - Two SUVs collided at 101 Ave and 75 St. A left turn cut across. Metal hit metal. Three occupants hurt. A parked Tesla took a scrape. Failure to yield set it off.

Two Hyundai SUVs collided at 101 Avenue and 75 Street in Queens. One was going west. The other was turning left southbound. A parked Tesla was struck on its left side. Three people were reported injured: a 49-year-old male driver with chest pain, a 21-year-old rear passenger with leg injury, and a 21-year-old front passenger with abdominal pain. According to the police report, the listed factor was “Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.” The southbound SUV was “Making Left Turn,” and the westbound SUV was “Going Straight Ahead,” indicating a turn across oncoming traffic. Driver errors included Failure to Yield. The parked vehicle had no occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834657 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

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 7 - Queens leaders kill Creedmoor’s car-free dream. The city bows to drivers. Walkers and cyclists lose. Streets stay hostile. Safety gains vanish. The promise of a people-first neighborhood dies.

On August 7, 2025, Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the city’s decision to scale back the Creedmoor redevelopment. The plan, once a bold vision for a car-free, walkable neighborhood, was gutted after pressure from local politicians like Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola. The original proposal called for 2,775 homes and limited parking. Now, density drops by 27 percent. Empire State Development claims compromise, but the statement is aspirational and lacks concrete safety measures for pedestrians or cyclists. Vulnerable road users remain exposed. The city missed its chance.

• NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-07

Aug 6 - The driver of a motorcycle hit the center rear of an SUV on Pitkin Avenue. The 23-year-old motorcyclist was ejected and injured. Police recorded "Following Too Closely" and "Other Vehicular" as contributing factors.

According to the police report, the driver of a motorcycle struck the center rear of an SUV on Pitkin Avenue in Queens. The 23-year-old male motorcyclist was ejected and suffered abrasions to his entire body. The SUV carried a single driver who was listed with unspecified injuries in the report. Police listed "Following Too Closely" and "Other Vehicular" as contributing factors. The report notes center-front damage to the motorcycle and center-back damage to the SUV. The account in the report focuses on those driver errors and the physical damage; it does not list helmet use or signaling as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833405 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

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 19 - SUV ran the light at 97th Street and 133rd Avenue. The sedan took the hit. One driver hurt, leg smashed. Metal twisted. Sirens cut the night.

A sedan and an SUV collided at 97th Street and 133rd Avenue in Queens. One driver, a 51-year-old man, suffered a leg injury. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' The SUV struck the sedan's right rear bumper. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report lists no other contributing factors. The injured driver wore a lap belt and harness. The crash highlights the danger when drivers ignore traffic controls.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4829177 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

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 - 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 - A sedan hit a woman crossing Cross Bay Blvd with the signal. She suffered leg injuries and burns. The driver and passenger were unhurt. The police report lists no clear cause.

A woman, age 24, was struck by a sedan while crossing Cross Bay Blvd at Liberty Ave in Queens. She was crossing with the signal and suffered injuries to her leg and a moderate burn. According to the police report, the driver and passenger, both 24-year-old women, were not injured. The report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors are cited. The impact point was the sedan's left front bumper. The pedestrian was left in shock.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4825887 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18