Who Pays for Complacency? Bellerose Bleeds, Leaders Stall

Oct 15 - Two northbound drivers collided on Cross Island Parkway at Union Turnpike. A sedan driver hit the rear of an SUV. Police recorded unsafe speed by the drivers. A 61-year-old driver reported whiplash.

Two northbound drivers crashed on the Cross Island Parkway at Union Turnpike in Queens. The driver of a sedan hit the back of an SUV. A 61-year-old driver was injured and reported whiplash. A 25-year-old driver’s injury status was listed as unspecified. According to the police report, both vehicles were traveling north, the sedan showed center front damage, the SUV showed center back damage, and officers recorded "Unsafe Speed" as a contributing factor. Police recorded Unsafe Speed by both drivers.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4850039 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

• More than a dozen hurt after two MTA buses collide in Queens: NYPD, NY1, Published 2025-10-13

• Bronx man accused of chopping off dog owner’s fingers with machete arrested in Queens hit-and-run, NY Daily News, Published 2025-10-12

Oct 8 - Southbound BMW driver hit parked SUVs on 235 Ct near 87 Ave. A 37-year-old man suffered a head injury. A 23-year-old driver and a 21-year-old passenger were hurt. A toddler and a 7-year-old boy were listed with unspecified injuries.

On 235 Ct at 87 Ave in Queens, the driver of a southbound BMW SUV hit parked SUVs. Police list the Honda, Mazda, and Nissan as parked with rear and quarter-panel damage. The BMW showed right-front damage. A 37-year-old male driver sustained a head injury. A 23-year-old male driver reported a lower-leg injury. A 21-year-old female front passenger suffered abdominal and pelvic injury. A 2-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy were listed with unspecified injuries. According to the police report, the contributing factor was "Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle" recorded for the drivers. No other factors were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4848392 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Oct 3 - A Hyundai driver went east on Winchester Blvd and hit a 60-year-old man in the intersection with Union Tpke. He stayed conscious and suffered a neck contusion.

A driver in a Hyundai car/SUV went east on Winchester Blvd and hit a 60-year-old man in the intersection with Union Tpke. The man suffered a neck contusion and remained conscious. "According to the police report," the driver was traveling east and going straight ahead before the crash. Police place the crash at Winchester Blvd and Union Tpke around 11:00 a.m. in Queens, ZIP 11427, within the 105th Precinct. One person was in the vehicle. The report did not record a driver error or other contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4849804 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

• Boy, 15, driving SUV on LIE, rear-ends motorcyclist in deadly Queens collision: NYPD, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-28

Sep 27 - Police flagged alcohol in a Queens crash. A sedan driver went straight as an SUV driver turned right near 247-01 Jericho Turnpike. Two drivers were hurt: a 30-year-old man with facial bleeding and a 42-year-old woman with whiplash.

Two drivers were injured in a collision near 247-01 Jericho Turnpike in Queens at 8:03 p.m. A driver in a sedan was going straight. A driver in an SUV was making a right turn. Parked sedans were also involved. The 30-year-old male driver reported facial bleeding. The 42-year-old female driver reported neck pain and whiplash. A 47-year-old woman riding in the front seat was listed with unspecified injury. According to the police report, the contributing factor was 'Alcohol Involvement.' Police recorded alcohol involvement in the crash. No pedestrians or cyclists were listed. The scene sits in the 105th Precinct.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4846658 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Sep 24 - Three eastbound sedan drivers collided on Grand Central Parkway in Queens. Police recorded improper passing or lane use by drivers. A 24-year-old woman driving was hurt with an arm contusion. Other drivers were listed as unspecified.

A crash involving three sedans unfolded on Grand Central Parkway in Queens. "According to the police report, drivers in three sedans collided while traveling eastbound." Police recorded Passing or Lane Usage Improper by multiple drivers. One driver, a 24-year-old woman, was injured with a contusion to her elbow and lower arm; she was conscious. Two male drivers, ages 24 and 20, were listed with unspecified injury status. One driver was slowing or stopping; two drove straight. The vehicles were a 2025 BMW, a 2024 Infiniti, and a 2022 Hyundai. The crash location falls within the 105th Precinct area.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4845145 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

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

• Nude Queens man indicted for kicking bike riders, attacking 3 NYPD officers, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-18

• 2 children struck by driver in Queens, CBS New York, Published 2025-09-15

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

• Queens teen with autism fatally struck by car after going missing from LI school, NY Daily News, Published 2025-09-05

Aug 25 - Two southbound sedans hit on Cross Island Parkway at Hillside Avenue. Metal tore. Airbags blew. Two drivers hurt, one with head trauma. A front-seat passenger suffered a concussion. Night road. High speed space. People bled; cars kept coming.

Two southbound sedans collided on Cross Island Parkway at Hillside Avenue in Queens. Two drivers were injured, including head injuries, and a front-seat passenger sustained a concussion. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight ahead and the impacts hit the front bumpers, with one car showing left rear damage. The report lists contributing factors as “Unspecified” for all involved. No specific driver errors such as Failure to Yield or Unsafe Speed were documented in the data. Safety equipment was noted only as air bags deployed and a lap belt on one driver.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4837754 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 20 - Eastbound on the Grand Central. Cars slowed. A sedan plowed into a stopping Tesla, then an SUV took a hit. One driver was injured, partly ejected. Children rode in back seats. Following too closely and inexperience ruled the morning.

According to the police report, three eastbound vehicles on the Grand Central Parkway were involved when traffic slowed and a rear-end chain reaction followed. A Tesla slowing or stopping was struck from behind by a sedan; an SUV in the mix also sustained back-end damage. One male driver, 36, was injured and partially ejected. Other occupants, including a 7-year-old passenger, were listed with unspecified injuries. The report cites Following Too Closely, Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle, and Driver Inexperience as contributing factors. Multiple drivers are also noted individually for Driver Inexperience and Following Too Closely. No other contributing factors are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838293 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 13 - A driver struck a man crossing 155th Street near JFK. The driver fled. The man died at Jamaica Hospital. Police search for answers. Seventeen killed in Queens South this year. The toll climbs.

Gothamist (2025-08-13) reports a 52-year-old man was killed crossing 155th Street and South Conduit Avenue near JFK Airport at 2:30 a.m. The driver fled. Police said, "the driver hit the 52-year-old man as he crossed" and left the scene. No vehicle description was released. NYPD data shows 17 traffic deaths in Queens South this year, up from 13 last year. The incident highlights ongoing risks for pedestrians and the persistent issue of hit-and-run drivers in the area.

• Hit-And-Run Kills Pedestrian Near JFK, Gothamist, Published 2025-08-13

Aug 12 - A speeding car tore through Astoria. The driver struck two men at a coffee cart. All three died. Parked cars blocked sightlines. The street was narrow. Danger came fast and left devastation.

Streetsblog NYC (2025-08-12) reports an 84-year-old driver sped onto 42nd Street in Astoria, hitting two pedestrians and a coffee cart. The crash killed the driver and both men. Streetsblog notes, 'The block has several auto repair shops that leave cars parked all over the sidewalk, limiting visibility.' The article highlights the city's power to lower speed limits to 20 mph, granted by the state legislature, but points out that local officials did not mention this in their initial responses. The crash underscores the risks of speeding and poor street design.

• Speeding Driver Kills Two Pedestrians in Astoria, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-08-12

Aug 7 - Two drivers in SUVs crashed on 89 Avenue near 248-55. Right-front to right-front. A 73-year-old woman driving east suffered neck pain. Police recorded unsafe speed by a driver.

Two drivers in SUVs crashed on 89 Avenue at 248-55 in Queens. Both right fronts took the hit. A 73-year-old woman driving east was injured with neck pain and whiplash. She was conscious. According to the police report, "Unsafe Speed" was the contributing factor. Police recorded unsafe speed by a driver. One driver was entering a parked position while heading east. The other drove west, going straight. Both vehicles showed right-front damage. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved, and no other injuries were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833492 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-11-02

Aug 7 - City scales back Creedmoor plan. Density cut 27%. The car-free model dies. Walkers and cyclists lose safety and 'safety in numbers'. Local pols beat back bold urban design. Streets stay hostile. The chance for a people-first, low-car neighborhood vanishes.

Bill number: none — this is a policy statement, not legislation. Status: announced August 7, 2025; no committee review. Matter quoted: "NYC Could Have Its First Car-Free Neighborhood (But Won’t Get It Due To Revanchist Pols)." Eastern Queens Greenway condemned the decision to downscale the Creedmoor redevelopment from 2,775 units by 27 percent. Assembly Member Ed Braunstein and Council Member Joann Ariola opposed higher density and pressed the rollback. Empire State Development framed the change as a compromise. Safety impact: the cut reduces potential mode shift, walkability, and "safety in numbers" for pedestrians and cyclists, preserving car dependence and dangerous streets.

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

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