Crash Count for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
Crashes: Collisions involving cars, bikes, and pedestrians. 1,480
All Injuries: Any injury from a reported crash. 1,212
Moderate: Broken bones, concussions, and other serious injuries. 216
Serious: Life-altering injuries: amputations, paralysis, severe trauma. 12
Deaths: Lives lost to traffic violence. 6
Data from Jan 1, 2022 to Aug 2, 2025

Who’s Injuring and Killing Pedestrians in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park?

Park or Perish: Blood on Flushing Meadows’ Streets Demands Action Now

Park or Perish: Blood on Flushing Meadows’ Streets Demands Action Now

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park: Jan 1, 2022 - Jul 16, 2025

The Toll in the Park

The numbers do not lie. Since 2022, six people have died and 1,137 have been injured in crashes in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. Ten of those injuries were serious. The dead include a 41-year-old man crushed on the Van Wyck, a 33-year-old woman struck on the Grand Central Parkway, and a 63-year-old woman thrown from her moped on Blossom Avenue. The park is ringed by highways. The danger is constant.

Buses jump curbs. Cars mount sidewalks. On July 11, an MTA bus in Flushing jumped the curb and smashed into a light pole and ticket machine, injuring eight. One rider described the chaos: “I was all the way in the back and all of a sudden the bus hit the curb, I guess, jumped the curb, I went this way and that way and banged into the side of the bus.” The driver, just 25, told investigators he misjudged the curb. Video later showed he had fallen asleep at the wheel. The MTA pulled him from service. The crash could have killed. It did not. This time.

Who Pays the Price

The most vulnerable bleed first. Pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders are struck by SUVs, trucks, and buses. In the last twelve months, 367 people were hurt and one killed in 449 crashes. The dead are not numbers. They are fathers, mothers, children. A woman on a moped, ejected and left bleeding. A man walking, crushed by a truck. A passenger, dead from a head wound after a sedan slammed a parked rig. The park is a magnet for families. The roads around it are a trap.

What Leaders Have Done—and Not Done

Senator John Liu has voted yes on bills to curb repeat speeders and extend school speed zones. He co-sponsored the Stop Super Speeders Act, which would force the worst offenders to install speed limiters. But the carnage continues. The city has the power to lower speed limits to 20 mph. It has not done so. The MTA pulls a driver after a crash, but the system that put him there remains. “It must be very devastating for the people that were on the bus,” said a bystander. The devastation is routine.

The Next Step Is Yours

This is not fate. These deaths are not accidents. They are the result of choices. Call your council member. Call the mayor. Demand a 20 mph speed limit. Demand real protection for people outside cars. The park should be a place for families, not funerals. The time to act is now.

Citations

Citations

Other Representatives

Sam Berger
Assembly Member Sam Berger
District 27
District Office:
159-06 71st Ave., Flushing, NY 11365
Legislative Office:
Room 818, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12248
James F. Gennaro
Council Member James F. Gennaro
District 24
District Office:
185-10 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366
718-217-4969
Legislative Office:
250 Broadway, Suite 1833, New York, NY 10007
212-788-6956
Twitter: JamesGennaro
John Liu
State Senator John Liu
District 16
District Office:
38-50 Bell Blvd. Suite C, Bayside, NY 11361
Legislative Office:
Room 915, Legislative Office Building, Albany, NY 12247
Other Geographies

Flushing Meadows-Corona Park Flushing Meadows-Corona Park sits in Queens, Precinct 110, District 24, AD 27, SD 16, Queens CB81.

See also
Boroughs
City Council Districts
Community Boards
State_assembly_districts
State Senate Districts

Traffic Safety Timeline for Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

S 1078
Liu votes yes, boosting driver education and improving street safety.

Senate and Assembly passed S 1078. New drivers must now learn how to avoid hitting people on foot or bike. Law aims to cut crashes at the root—before drivers get the keys.

Bill S 1078, introduced in the Senate on April 27, 2021, requires pedestrian and bicyclist safety instruction in the drivers pre-licensing course. The bill moved through committee and passed the Senate and Assembly, with key votes on May 20, 2021, February 1, 2022, May 16, 2022, and May 23, 2022. The matter summary reads: 'Requires instruction in pedestrian and bicyclist safety as part of the drivers pre-licensing course.' Primary sponsor: Senator Gounardes, joined by Bailey, Biaggi, Brisport, Cleare, Comrie, and others. The measure targets driver ignorance, a root cause of deadly crashes, by putting vulnerable road users at the center of driver education.


3
SUV Rear-Ends Parked SUV on Van Wyck

A moving SUV struck a parked SUV on Van Wyck Expressway. Three occupants in the parked vehicle suffered whiplash and full-body injuries. All were conscious and restrained. Driver distraction caused the crash. Damage hit the rear bumper of the parked SUV.

According to the police report, a 2021 Jeep SUV traveling south on Van Wyck Expressway rear-ended a 2019 Honda SUV that was parked. The collision impacted the right rear bumper of the parked vehicle and the left front bumper of the moving vehicle. Three occupants in the parked SUV—a 53-year-old male driver and two female passengers aged 49 and 8—were injured with whiplash and full-body injuries. All occupants were conscious and wearing lap belts and harnesses. The report lists "Driver Inattention/Distraction" as the primary contributing factor. No victims were ejected. The moving SUV driver was licensed in New York. The crash highlights the dangers of driver distraction leading to collisions with stationary vehicles.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4498515 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09
Unlicensed Driver Crashes SUV Merging Grand Central Pkwy

A 55-year-old man driving an unlicensed SUV merged at unsafe speed on Grand Central Parkway. The vehicle struck an object on its left side doors. The driver suffered a head injury but remained conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness.

According to the police report, a 55-year-old male driver operating a 2000 Ford SUV merged onto Grand Central Parkway traveling east. The driver was unlicensed and driving at an unsafe speed. The vehicle impacted on the left side doors, causing damage and resulting in a head injury to the driver. The driver was not ejected and was restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Unlicensed Driver' as contributing factors. The driver remained conscious but suffered internal complaints and a head injury. No other vehicles or pedestrians were involved.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4496199 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09
SUV Lane Change Causes Multi-Vehicle Crash

Three vehicles collided on Grand Central Parkway. An SUV changing lanes struck a sedan and another SUV. One driver suffered knee and leg injuries, trapped in shock. All drivers were licensed men. Damage centered on rear and front ends of vehicles.

According to the police report, a 2005 Toyota SUV changed lanes on Grand Central Parkway and collided with a 2018 Nissan sedan and a 2014 Dodge SUV, all traveling westbound. The impact involved the center front end of the Toyota and the center back ends of the other two vehicles. One driver, a 42-year-old man wearing a lap belt and harness, was injured with knee and lower leg trauma and experienced shock. The report lists driver inattention or distraction as a contributing factor. All drivers were licensed men. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash caused significant damage to the vehicles' rear and front ends.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4501027 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09
Liu Supports Enhanced Subway Safety and Mental Health Services

A woman died after being shoved onto Times Square subway tracks. The train struck her. Police arrested the suspect. Council Member Julie Won joined officials at the scene. Leaders promised action. The system failed a vulnerable New Yorker. Riders remain exposed.

On January 16, 2022, Council Member Julie Won (District 26) joined city and state officials in response to a fatal subway incident. The matter, titled "Suspect Charged With Murder In 'Unprovoked' Fatal Shoving Of Woman Onto Times Square Subway Tracks," details the killing of Michelle Go, who was pushed onto the tracks and struck by a train. Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul pledged to improve subway safety and address mental health and homelessness in transit. Won stood with other lawmakers, highlighting the impact on Asian-American communities. The council has not advanced specific legislation, but the event underscores the urgent need for systemic protections for vulnerable riders. No safety analyst assessment was provided.


Improper Lane Use Injures Passenger on Expressway

Two sedans crashed on the Long Island Expressway. Driver inexperience and bad lane use sent metal into metal. A 58-year-old front passenger took the hit. Neck pain. Whiplash. System failed her.

According to the police report, two sedans collided on the Long Island Expressway in Queens. The unlicensed driver of one sedan, heading west, struck the left rear quarter panel of another sedan that was merging. A 58-year-old woman riding as front passenger suffered neck injuries and whiplash. She was conscious and wore a lap belt and harness. The report lists driver inexperience and improper passing or lane usage as contributing factors. No ejections occurred. The crash left both vehicles damaged. Driver errors led to the collision and the passenger's injuries.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4493936 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09
SUV Rear-Ends Another on Grand Central Pkwy

Two SUVs collided on Grand Central Parkway. The rear vehicle struck the left rear bumper of the lead SUV. A 45-year-old female passenger suffered a head abrasion. Driver inattention and following too closely caused the crash.

According to the police report, two sport utility vehicles traveling westbound on Grand Central Parkway collided when the trailing vehicle struck the left rear bumper of the lead vehicle. The crash injured a 45-year-old female occupant seated in the right rear passenger seat of the lead SUV. She sustained a head abrasion but was conscious and restrained by a lap belt and harness. The report lists driver inattention and following too closely as contributing factors. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead at the time of impact. The collision caused damage to the right front bumper of the trailing vehicle and the left rear bumper of the lead vehicle.


  • Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4594858 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-09