Children Bleed While Politicians Wait: Demand 20 MPH Now

• 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

Sep 4 - A westbound driver hit a stopped sedan on Rockaway Beach Blvd near Beach 149 St. The woman in the stopped car was injured. Back pain. Whiplash. Shock.

Two sedans were westbound on Rockaway Beach Blvd near Beach 149 St. The driver of a 2018 Jeep went straight ahead and hit the back of a stopped 2025 Chevy sedan. The crash injured the stopped driver, a 28-year-old woman. She reported back pain and whiplash and was in shock. According to the police report, the rear vehicle had center front-end damage and the stopped car had center back-end damage. Police recorded Driver Inattention/Distraction and Unsafe Speed. The rear driver, a 19-year-old man, had no injuries listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4840953 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 29 - A southbound sedan hit a 6‑year‑old on Beach 108th. He suffered a head injury and stayed conscious. The car showed no damage. The driver was licensed. The street failed the child, not the child.

A southbound Honda sedan traveling straight struck a 6-year-old boy outside an intersection near Beach 108th Street in Queens. He sustained a head injury and was reported conscious. According to the police report, the pedestrian was “Crossing, No Signal, or Crosswalk” and the location was “Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Not at Intersection.” The report lists driver contributing factors as “Unspecified,” and the vehicle showed “No Damage.” No specific driver errors were recorded, underscoring a system where a child on foot meets a moving car and loses.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4838593 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 15 - A northbound sedan turned right and hit a westbound teen on a bike in Queens. The boy went down. His leg was hurt. Police cite driver distraction. Metal wins. Flesh pays.

A sedan turning right collided with a westbound bicyclist at 33 Market St in Queens. The 15-year-old cyclist was injured in the leg. According to the police report, the contributing factor was “Driver Inattention/Distraction.” The driver’s listed pre-crash action was Making Right Turn, while the cyclist was Going Straight Ahead. These records point to driver error: inattention during a turning movement. Only after that does the data note the bicyclist’s equipment as None; the report does not tie that to causation. No other causes are listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4835740 - 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 8 - Driver turned right and hit a man in the intersection at Beach 116 and Beach Channel. Police cited distraction. The 47-year-old suffered a back injury and a bruise.

A driver in a 2017 Jeep SUV made a right turn at Beach 116 Street and Beach Channel Drive in Queens and hit a 47-year-old man crossing in the intersection. The driver hit him with the SUV’s center front end. The pedestrian was conscious and suffered a back injury and a contusion. According to the police report, police recorded driver inattention and distraction by the driver as contributing factors. No other contributing factors were listed. The driver was licensed. The report lists damage at the center front end.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4833827 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Aug 7 - A driver in an ambulance hit a nine-year-old on Beach 115th Street in Queens. The boy suffered shoulder injuries and shock. Police cited pedestrian confusion. No driver error recorded.

A driver in a 2021 ambulance, heading south and going straight, hit a nine-year-old boy near Beach 115th Street in Queens. The impact was to the center front of the ambulance. The child was not at an intersection and was listed as playing in the roadway. He sustained an abrasion and an injury to his upper arm and shoulder and went into shock. According to the police report, the only contributing factor recorded was 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion.' No driver errors were recorded. The ambulance showed no damage. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4834361 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

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 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 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

Jul 3 - A sedan hit an 82-year-old woman crossing Beach 123 St. She suffered a shoulder injury. Police cite failure to yield. The street stayed open. The danger stayed real.

An 82-year-old woman was struck by a sedan while crossing Beach 123 Street at Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens. She was in a marked crosswalk with no signal and suffered a shoulder and upper arm injury. According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver, an 84-year-old man, was making a left turn at the time. No injuries were reported for the vehicle occupants. The crash underscores the persistent risk pedestrians face at crossings, even in marked crosswalks.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4826314 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-18

Jun 30 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned, derelict cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. No plates, no stickers, no excuses. Police and sanitation must act. Safer crossings for all who walk, ride, or wait.

Bill Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and full Council on June 30, 2025. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation," requires the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours of report. The NYPD must tow cars lacking valid plates or stickers. Prime sponsor Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led, joined by Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, Lincoln Restler, and others. The law targets street hazards, clearing blocked sightlines and crosswalks. It aims to cut risks for pedestrians and cyclists by removing abandoned vehicles fast.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-06-30

Jun 30 - Council orders swift removal of abandoned, derelict cars. Streets clear in 72 hours. No plates, no stickers, no excuses. Police and sanitation must act. Safer crossings for all who walk, ride, or wait.

Bill Int 0857-2024, now at the Mayor's desk, passed the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and full Council on June 30, 2025. The bill, titled "A Local Law to amend the administrative code...in relation to vehicles reported as abandoned to the department of sanitation," requires the Department of Sanitation to remove derelict vehicles within 72 hours of report. The NYPD must tow cars lacking valid plates or stickers. Prime sponsor Selvena N. Brooks-Powers led, joined by Crystal Hudson, Amanda Farías, Lincoln Restler, and others. The law targets street hazards, clearing blocked sightlines and crosswalks. It aims to cut risks for pedestrians and cyclists by removing abandoned vehicles fast.

• File Int 0857-2024, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2025-06-30