Jamaica’s hard miles: hit‑and‑runs, truck strikes, and a teenager on a bike

Aug 21 - Northbound SUV clipped a northbound cyclist on Liberty Ave at 183rd. The bike took the hit. The rider went down, hurt and conscious. Metal wins. Flesh pays. Passing too close in Queens again.

A northbound SUV struck a northbound cyclist at Liberty Ave and 183rd St in Queens. The bicyclist sustained leg injuries and abrasions and remained conscious. According to the police report the crash involved “Station Wagon/Sport Utility Vehicle, Bike” and listed “Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion” and “Passing Too Closely.” Driver errors include Passing Too Closely, a classic sideswipe. The SUV showed right-front damage; the bike showed left-side impact, matching a close pass. The report notes the cyclist wore a helmet. No pedestrians were reported hurt. The system left little room. The rider paid for it.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836742 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 20 - A cyclist riding south on Merrick took the hit. Front of a vehicle smashed the bike’s rear. The rider bled from the arm and shook. A driver was hurt too. Distraction ruled the moment. Queens pavement bore the cost.

A southbound bicyclist on Merrick Blvd at Archer Ave was hit from behind by a vehicle whose front end struck the bike’s rear. The bicyclist sustained arm injuries and bleeding; a vehicle driver was also injured. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Driver Inattention/Distraction.” The report lists driver inattention as the key error. No contributing factors are assigned to the bicyclist. The data show the bike going straight, with impact to the center back of the bicycle and the vehicle’s center front, consistent with a rear-end strike. No helmet or signal issues are cited for the cyclist in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836813 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 18 - The driver of a Ford SUV rear-ended a stopped Infiniti sedan at Merrick Blvd and Jamaica Ave in Queens. The 30-year-old sedan driver suffered a back contusion and was injured. Police cited driver inattention.

The driver of a Ford SUV, traveling south on Merrick Blvd, struck the center back end of a stopped Infiniti sedan at Merrick Blvd and Jamaica Ave. The sedan’s 30-year-old driver was injured and complained of a back contusion. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Driver Inattention/Distraction." Police recorded driver inattention as the causal factor. The SUV struck the sedan at the center front to center back; each vehicle carried one occupant. The SUV driver held only a permit and was going straight ahead while the sedan was stopped in traffic. No other contributing factors are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836144 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 16 - A Mercedes driver hit a southbound 20-year-old bicyclist at Hillside Ave and Parsons Blvd. The rider was ejected and suffered back injuries and shock. Police listed unsafe speed as a contributing factor.

At Hillside Ave and Parsons Blvd in Queens, a Mercedes driver traveling east hit a southbound bicyclist. The 20-year-old male bicyclist was ejected and sustained back injuries and shock. According to the police report, the crash involved a "MERZ -CAR/SUV" traveling east and a bike traveling south, with impact to the bicycle’s "Center Back End." The report lists "Unsafe Speed" as a contributing factor. Driver error — unsafe speed — led the sequence that put the rider down. Police recorded the bicyclist’s injuries as internal complaint and back injury, and noted ejection and shock.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835660 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 16 - An e-bike rider hit a 7-year-old boy off the roadway near 88-19 170 St in Queens. The child was injured, suffering a knee-lower-leg-foot fracture. Police recorded Failure to Yield Right-of-Way and Unsafe Speed.

The e-bike rider was traveling south and went straight near 88-19 170 St in Queens. He struck a 7-year-old boy who was not in the roadway. The child suffered a knee-lower-leg-foot fracture and was listed injured. According to the police report, the contributing factors were "Failure to Yield Right-of-Way" and "Unsafe Speed." Police recorded failure to yield by the rider and unsafe speed as driver errors. The e-bike's point of impact was the center front end. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4836493 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to use a compliance checklist and levy maximum fines on unlicensed commuter vans. Punitive enforcement may cut informal transit, push riders to cars and ride‑hail, and raise vehicle volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists.

Bill: Int 1347-2025. Status: Sponsorship; sits in the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Introduced and referred August 14, 2025. The matter: "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams; co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, and Chris Banks. The law orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a checklist and requires officers to issue maximum fines for each violation. It takes effect 120 days after enactment. A safety assessment warns this punitive approach may reduce informal transit in underserved areas, shift trips to private cars and ride‑hail, and increase traffic volumes that endanger pedestrians and cyclists; it adds policing without system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 14 - Int 1347-2025 orders TLC, NYPD and DOT to cite unlicensed commuter vans and levy maximum fines. It will likely shrink shared rides in transit deserts. Trips will shift to private cars and ride-hail. Pedestrians and cyclists face more exposure on the street.

Int 1347-2025 is at SPONSORSHIP and sits with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure after introduction on August 14, 2025. The matter is titled, "A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to enforcing violations against unlicensed commuter vans." Primary sponsor Nantasha M. Williams introduced the bill. Co-sponsors Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Mercedes Narcisse, Chris Banks, and Farah N. Louis joined her. The bill orders TLC, with NYPD and DOT, to maintain a compliance checklist and requires officers to issue maximum penalties for every listed violation. Analysts warn punitive enforcement and steep fines will likely reduce shared transit options in transit deserts, push trips to private cars and ride-hail, and increase traffic exposure for pedestrians and cyclists, prioritizing policing over safer operations or street redesign without clear system-wide safety gains.

• File Int 1347-2025, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-08-14

Aug 13 - A 61-year-old man crossed Sutphin Blvd with the signal. A northbound driver made a U-turn and hit him at the center front. He suffered elbow and lower-arm injuries and remained conscious. Police listed Turning Improperly and Unsafe Speed.

A northbound sedan driver made a U-turn at Sutphin Blvd and 94 Ave and struck a 61-year-old man who was crossing with the signal. The pedestrian suffered abrasions and injuries to his elbow and lower arm and remained conscious. According to the police report, the listed factors were "Turning Improperly" and "Unsafe Speed." The report notes the driver was unlicensed and the point of impact was the center front end of the vehicle. Police recorded driver failures—an improper turning maneuver at speed by an unlicensed driver—as the contributing factors to the pedestrian's injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835715 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

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 northbound sedan hit a westbound moped at Sutphin and 94th. Two teens on the moped were hurt. The car’s nose and moped’s right front took the blow. Police cite driver distraction. The street did the rest.

A northbound sedan struck a westbound moped at Sutphin Blvd and 94 Ave in Queens. Two 16-year-olds on the moped were injured; one was the driver, one a front passenger. According to the police report, “Driver Inattention/Distraction” was the contributing factor for both vehicles. The sedan’s center front end and the moped’s right front bumper show impact points, aligning with a crash in the intersection while both were going straight. Driver inattention is the lead error called out. Only after that does the report note the passenger lacked safety equipment. No pedestrians were reported injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834762 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 11 - Astoria shopkeepers fight a protected bike lane on 31st Street. They claim city plans threaten their business and public safety. The lawsuit lands in Queens Supreme Court. The city faces pushback, progress stalls.

NY1 reported on August 11, 2025, that over a dozen Astoria business owners filed suit to block a protected bike lane on 31st Street. The petition, lodged in Queens Supreme Court, claims the redesign from 36th Avenue to Newton Avenue would 'hurt their day-to-day operations and jeopardize public safety.' Owners accuse the city of acting in an 'arbitrary and capricious' way, moving forward despite objections. The case highlights ongoing tension between street safety projects and local business concerns. The outcome could shape future protected bike lane installations citywide.

• Astoria Businesses Sue Over Bike Lane, NY1, Published 2025-08-11

Aug 8 - The driver of an unlicensed sedan turned left and hit a 19‑year‑old cyclist on 164th Street at Jamaica Avenue in Queens. The cyclist suffered contusions to his knee, lower leg and foot. Police cited driver inattention.

The driver of a sedan made a left turn and struck a 19‑year‑old bicyclist who was traveling south on 164th Street at Jamaica Avenue in Queens. The bicyclist suffered contusions to his knee, lower leg and foot and was recorded as injured. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' was a contributing factor. Police recorded that the sedan driver was unlicensed. The sedan's left front bumper was listed as the point of impact. The bike was listed with no damage. Two people were occupants of the sedan; no injuries to them were recorded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833907 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 6 - A driver in a 2022 Mercedes SUV turned right at 181st Street and Hillside Avenue and hit a 44‑year‑old woman in the intersection. Police recorded failure to yield by the driver and a limited view. She suffered a bruised arm.

A driver in a 2022 Mercedes SUV made a right turn at 181st Street and Hillside Avenue in Queens and hit a 44‑year‑old woman in the intersection. According to the police report, the point of impact was the SUV’s right front bumper. The woman was conscious and suffered a contusion to her arm. Police recorded Failure to Yield Right-of-Way by the driver and View Obstructed/Limited. The driver was licensed and traveling north before the turn. No vehicle damage was reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834183 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 5 - A driver in a sedan on Hillside Avenue left two rear passengers injured. Both women, 58 and 62, complained of head and neck pain and nausea. Both were in shock. Police recorded no contributing factors or driver errors.

A driver in a sedan on Hillside Avenue injured two rear-seat passengers. According to the police report, both women, ages 58 and 62, complained of pain and nausea and suffered head and neck injuries. Both occupants were not ejected and showed signs of shock. The driver was not reported injured. Police recorded no contributing factors or driver errors in the report. Vehicle records show no damage and list the sedan’s pre-crash action as going straight ahead. The crash left two passengers hurt and shaken, per the official account.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833895 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

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 bus driver followed too close on Jamaica Ave at Parsons Blvd and hit an e‑bike rider. The rider, 18, suffered knee and lower‑leg injuries and shock. Police recorded Following Too Closely by the driver.

An eighteen-year-old e-bike rider was hurt on Jamaica Ave at Parsons Blvd in Queens when a bus driver hit him while both were traveling west. He suffered knee and lower-leg injuries and went into shock, with a complaint of pain. "According to the police report, the crash involved a bus and an e-bike, both going straight westbound." Police recorded Following Too Closely by the bus driver. The bus showed damage to the right-side doors. Police also listed "Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion" as a factor, after citing the driver’s Following Too Closely. Other occupants were listed with unspecified injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832593 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Aug 1 - A car struck and killed a 23-year-old man in Ozone Park. The driver fled, then turned himself in. Police say the crash followed a heated confrontation. The victim died at Jamaica Hospital.

ABC7 reported on August 1, 2025, that a 23-year-old man died after being hit by a car at 101st Avenue and Liberty Boulevard in Queens. Police said the incident followed a domestic dispute. The driver, who was the woman's current boyfriend, told police the victim approached his car "while flashing what appeared to be a gun" and was struck as the driver tried to leave. The driver later went to the police. No charges had been filed as of publication, with the district attorney still reviewing the case. The crash highlights the lethal risk when vehicles are used during conflicts.

• Man Killed By Car In Queens Dispute, ABC7, Published 2025-08-01

Jul 31 - The driver of a merging vehicle hit a taxi’s right side doors on Liberty Ave in Queens. Three rear-seat passengers suffered whiplash, neck and shoulder injuries. Police listed contributing factors as “Unspecified.”

According to the police report, the driver of a merging vehicle struck a taxi on Liberty Avenue in Queens, impacting the taxi’s right side doors while the taxi was going straight. Three passengers in the taxi’s rear seats — ages 27, 46 and 46 — were injured, reporting whiplash and neck and shoulder injuries. Police recorded contributing factors as “Unspecified.” No specific driver errors were listed in the data. The taxi driver was not reported injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4832655 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02

Jul 31 - Water rose fast. Cars stranded. People climbed roofs to escape. Rescue teams pulled them out. Rain hammered Queens. The road drowned, then cleared. Danger came quick. Relief came late.

ABC7 reported on July 31, 2025, that flash flooding trapped drivers on the Clearview Expressway in Queens. Video showed people perched atop cars, waiting for rescue. A witness described, "10 feet deep, people sitting on top of cars, 6 or 7." Mayor Eric Adams declared a localized State of Emergency. The flooding left vehicles stranded and forced emergency response. The article highlights the risk of sudden, severe weather overwhelming city infrastructure, stranding vulnerable road users in harm’s way.

• Flash Flood Traps Cars On Expressway, ABC7, Published 2025-07-31

Jul 23 - A sedan hit a 16‑year‑old e‑bike rider who was merging on Jamaica Ave. The teen suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg and foot. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver.

According to the police report, the crash was caused by "Unsafe Speed." A sedan traveling west on Jamaica Avenue struck a 16‑year‑old male riding an e‑bike who was merging. The sedan struck the e‑bike's center back end with its center front end. The bicyclist suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg and foot and was conscious at the scene. Police recorded unsafe speed by the driver. No injuries were reported for the sedan driver or other occupants. The report lists no other contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4830557 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-10-02