A 2007 Yamaha motorcycle tore down Commerce Avenue, Bronx, turning left at unsafe speed. The unlicensed rider and his 13-year-old passenger, both helmetless, were ejected and struck the pavement headfirst. Both died instantly in the darkness.

According to the police report, a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle was traveling at unsafe speed on Commerce Avenue near Newbold Avenue in the Bronx. The motorcycle, operated by a 21-year-old unlicensed rider, attempted a left turn and lost control. The report states both the rider and his 13-year-old passenger were ejected from the motorcycle, striking the pavement headfirst. Both individuals suffered fatal head injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Turning Improperly' as contributing factors. Neither the rider nor the passenger was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report. The crash occurred in the early morning darkness, underscoring the lethal consequences of high speed and improper turning on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747427, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A young man on a motorcycle struck an SUV’s side on Saint Anns Avenue. The light was ignored. He flew from his bike, his head hitting pavement. He died where he landed. Systemic disregard for traffic control proved fatal.

According to the police report, a 21-year-old man riding a motorcycle northbound on Saint Anns Avenue collided with the right side doors of an SUV traveling east on East 156th Street. The report states that 'the light was ignored' and lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor, underscoring a critical driver error. The motorcyclist, described as unlicensed and not wearing a helmet, was ejected from his bike and suffered fatal head injuries upon impact with the pavement. The police report also notes 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. The crash resulted in the death of the motorcycle rider at the scene. The data highlights the deadly consequences of ignoring traffic signals and failing to observe safe speeds, with systemic danger compounded by the lack of licensing and safety equipment.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747426, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A motorcycle slammed into a slowing van on 2nd Avenue. The unlicensed rider, helmetless, struck head-first and died in the street. The morning rose over his body, the city moving on as another life ended in traffic.

A deadly collision unfolded on 2nd Avenue when a motorcycle crashed into the rear of a refrigerated van, according to the police report. The report states the van was 'slowing or stopping' when the motorcycle, traveling southbound, struck its center back end. The 33-year-old motorcyclist, who was unlicensed and wore no helmet, died at the scene after hitting head-first. The police report lists 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as a contributing factor in the crash, highlighting a critical driver error. The van driver was licensed and operating within the law, while the motorcycle rider's lack of a license and helmet are noted in the report after the primary driver error. The crash left the rider dead in the road, underscoring the lethal consequences of improper lane usage and systemic vulnerability for those outside the protection of steel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4747428, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A sedan struck a man lying on FDR Drive at 3:30 a.m. The driver, distracted, hit him head-on. The man died instantly, his head taking the blow. The road was dark. The driver kept going. Silence followed.

According to the police report, a 59-year-old man was killed on FDR Drive at 3:30 a.m. when a southbound sedan struck him head-on. The report states, 'A man lay in the dark. A southbound sedan struck him head-on. His head took the blow. He died there, still and silent.' The driver was found to be distracted at the time of the crash, with 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' listed as a primary contributing factor. The sedan's center front end took the impact, matching the pedestrian's fatal head injury. The report does not cite any pedestrian actions as contributing factors. The focus remains on the driver's inattention, which led to the fatal collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4746817, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A bus turned left on Baisley Boulevard. A woman crossed with the light. The front of the bus hit her head-on. She crumpled. She did not move again. She was thirty-one. The street was quiet. The system failed her.

According to the police report, a bus making a left turn at Baisley Boulevard and Bedell Street struck a 31-year-old woman as she crossed the intersection with the signal. The report states, 'A bus turned left. A woman crossed with the light. The front of the bus struck her full on. Her body crumpled. She did not move again.' The pedestrian was killed, suffering injuries to her entire body. The report cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor, underscoring the bus driver's error. Additionally, 'View Obstructed/Limited' is listed as a contributing factor. The woman was crossing with the signal, as confirmed by the police report, placing the responsibility squarely on the driver and the conditions that allowed this collision. No evidence in the report suggests any contributing behavior by the victim.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4746187, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

After a fatal crash, the Emergency Streets plan calls for slashing speed limits and installing barriers within 24 hours. No more quick road reopenings. Streets become sites of failure, not business as usual. The goal: force drivers to slow down, save lives.

This policy proposal, discussed on August 6, 2024, introduces the 'Emergency Streets' intervention. The plan, outlined by Kevin Krizek and Tila Duhaime, demands that after a fatal crash, city officials halve speed limits and install temporary, modular traffic-calming infrastructure within a half-mile radius of the site. These changes would remain for at least two weeks or until the community addresses permanent safety upgrades. The proposal challenges current protocols, which prioritize rapid road reopening over thorough investigation and public awareness. Krizek questions whether returning roads to 'normal' is wise, while Duhaime insists that physical changes—not police enforcement—will force drivers to slow down. The matter summary reads: 'What if, instead, they treated those streets as the site of a catastrophic transportation failure and took immediate action to prevent the worst from happening again?' No council bill number or committee is assigned, as this is a policy concept, not legislation. The proposal centers vulnerable road users and aims to shift responsibility for traffic violence from individuals to the system itself.

• What If We Treated Car Crash Sites Like Disaster Zones?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-08-06

A box truck turned at 34th Street and 43rd Avenue. An e-bike rider, 18, kept straight. The truck crushed his head. He was thrown, died alone on the pavement. The street swallowed another life in the morning light.

According to the police report, a box truck was making a right turn at the corner of 34th Street and 43rd Avenue in Queens while an e-bike rider continued straight. The report states, 'The truck crushed the rider’s head. No helmet. He was thrown. He died there, 18 years old, alone on the pavement.' The e-bike rider was ejected and suffered fatal head injuries. Both contributing factors are listed as 'Unspecified' in the official data, leaving the precise driver error unstated, but the narrative centers the deadly impact of the truck's turn. The victim was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this detail appears after the sequence of driver actions. The crash underscores the lethal consequences when large vehicles intersect with vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4745951, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A BMW sedan merged south on Metropolitan Avenue. Both men inside were thrown from the car. The passenger, age twenty, died with his head crushed. The driver survived. The street held its silence.

According to the police report, a BMW sedan was merging south on Metropolitan Avenue near Aileen B Ryan Oval at 1:26 a.m. when both occupants were ejected from the vehicle. The report states that neither the 23-year-old driver nor the 20-year-old front passenger was wearing seat belts. The passenger suffered fatal head crush injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver survived with head injuries. The vehicle sustained damage to the left front bumper. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor for both individuals, offering no further detail on the cause. No mention is made of any passenger behavior contributing to the crash. The focus remains on the violent ejection and fatal outcome inside the BMW sedan.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4745057, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A man died beneath two westbound SUVs on Washington Bridge near Amsterdam Avenue. His head struck the pavement. The drivers did not stop. The road claimed him in the night, far from any crosswalk, as traffic thundered past.

According to the police report, a 41-year-old man was killed on Washington Bridge near Amsterdam Avenue when he was crushed beneath two westbound SUVs. The narrative states, 'His head struck. He died in the road. Not at a crosswalk. The trucks kept going.' The incident occurred at 22:22. Both SUVs, a 2018 Dodge and a 2015 Toyota, were moving westbound—one merging, one going straight—when the collision happened. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as contributing factors for the drivers, and the drivers did not remain at the scene. The pedestrian was not at an intersection, but no victim behavior is cited as a contributing factor. The report underscores the lethal consequences of driver actions and the systemic dangers faced by people on foot in New York City.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4745056, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A 57-year-old man, helmeted but unlicensed, rode his motorcycle straight into a parked Hino van on Saint Johns Place. The van did not move. He struck headfirst and died there. The crash report cites driver inattention or distraction.

According to the police report, a 57-year-old man operating a Jiajue motorcycle collided headfirst with the center back end of a parked Hino refrigerated van on Saint Johns Place near Utica Avenue in Brooklyn. The report states the motorcyclist was helmeted but unlicensed. The van was stationary and unoccupied at the time of the crash. The narrative describes the motorcycle crumpling on impact and the rider dying at the scene from head injuries. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor in the crash. No actions by the van or its driver contributed to the incident, as the vehicle was parked. The report notes the rider's helmet use and unlicensed status, but cites driver inattention as the primary factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4745063, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

Two sedans collided on 1st Avenue. One struck a man stepping from behind a parked car. His hip shattered. He died in the street. Alcohol and unsafe speed fueled the crash. The sun was still up. The city swallowed another life.

A 60-year-old man was fatally injured on 1st Avenue at East 105th Street in Manhattan when two sedans collided and one struck him, according to the police report. The report states, "A man stepped from behind a parked car. Two sedans collided. One struck him. His hip shattered. He died in the street." The crash occurred at 15:42 in daylight. Police explicitly cite "Alcohol Involvement" and "Unsafe Speed" as contributing factors. The sedan that struck the pedestrian was changing lanes at the time of the crash. The pedestrian's action is listed as "Emerging from in Front of/Behind Parked Vehicle," but the primary focus remains on driver errors: alcohol use and unsafe speed. These driver actions caused the deadly impact described in the police narrative.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4744546, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

Lower Manhattan’s open streets pulse with life. Businesses thrive. Pedestrians and cyclists fill the space once ruled by cars. City data proves it: sales soar where cars are banned. Still, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul stall, leaving vulnerable road users exposed.

This report, published July 29, 2024, highlights the success of car-free open streets in Lower Manhattan. The program, launched during the pandemic and now permanent in some areas, has turned Canal, Orchard, Broome, and Doyers Streets into bustling, pedestrian-friendly zones. The article quotes Vincent Aloi, manager of Le Dive, who says, '[Limiting car access] is not hurting businesses, in any sense.' Tim Laughlin, president of the Lower East Side Partnership, calls the program 'a pedestrianized destination that supports commerce and community.' Despite clear economic and social benefits, Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul have not expanded pedestrianization. Hochul’s cancellation of congestion pricing is seen as a missed chance to further protect people outside cars. Community leaders and workers urge the city to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists, noting most visitors arrive without cars. The city’s inaction leaves vulnerable road users at risk.

• Businesses Thrive on Car-Free Streets, Yet Mayor Adams Ignores Call for Widespread Pedestrianization, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-29

A young man on a KTM motorcycle crashed into two parked SUVs on Fort George Avenue. Ejected, he suffered fatal head trauma. Blood pooled beneath the streetlights. The police report cites driver inexperience. He died there, alone, on the summer night.

According to the police report, a 25-year-old man riding a KTM motorcycle northbound on Fort George Avenue near Audubon Avenue struck two parked SUVs. The collision occurred at 21:44. The report states the rider was ejected on impact and suffered severe head trauma, with blood found on the pavement. He died at the scene. The police report explicitly lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor in the crash. The narrative notes the rider was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after the primary driver error. The parked SUVs were unoccupied and stationary at the time of the collision. The report provides no evidence of any contributing factors beyond those attributed to the motorcycle operator.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4743277, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

Gov. Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing slams the brakes on 23 planned subway elevators. Disabled New Yorkers are stranded. The city’s promise of mobility is broken. Crowded stations stay deadly. Lawmakers offer no fix. Riders wait. Danger remains.

On July 23, 2024, advocates condemned Governor Hochul’s decision to pause congestion pricing, a move that halted funding for 23 new subway elevators. The action, detailed in 'Disabled NYer’s are Victims of Gov. Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Pause,' leaves tens of thousands without access. Michelle Alcaraz and Ray Ray, both disabled New Yorkers, are forced to travel far from home or avoid transit altogether. The MTA’s $16 billion in scheduled repairs, including crucial accessibility upgrades, is now in limbo. Joe Rappaport of the Brooklyn Center for the Independence of the Disabled called on the governor and legislature to restore funding, warning that the lack of elevators treats disabled riders as 'second-class citizens.' The pause keeps stations dangerous for parents, caregivers, and the disabled. Lawmakers have yet to offer a solution.

• Disabled NYer’s are Victims of Gov. Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Pause, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-23

A 26-year-old man on an e-bike struck a car’s side on Westchester Avenue. His head smashed. Blood pooled beneath the streetlights. No helmet. Right-of-way denied. He died where no one yielded.

A 26-year-old man riding an e-bike was killed after striking the side of a car near 1957 Westchester Avenue in the Bronx, according to the police report. The crash occurred at 21:55. The report states the bicyclist suffered fatal head injuries and internal bleeding, dying at the scene. Police cite 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor, emphasizing that the right-of-way was not given. The narrative notes, 'No helmet. Head smashed. Internal bleeding. He died beneath the streetlights, where the right-of-way was not his, and no one yielded.' The police report does not list any victim behavior as a contributing factor prior to the collision. The focus remains on the failure to yield, a recurring danger on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4742623, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

Governor Hochul paused congestion pricing, claiming to help workers. Data shows the rich win. Most car commuters earn over $100,000. Transit riders lose $16.5 billion in improvements. Buses crawl. Subways stall. The city’s most vulnerable pay the price.

On July 22, 2024, Governor Hochul halted New York’s congestion pricing plan. The move, not a council bill but a major policy action, stopped new tolls for drivers entering Manhattan’s core. Hochul claimed she was protecting working-class commuters. But as advocates point out, 'the vast majority of people driving into the CBD are more affluent.' Data shows over 60 percent of car commuters make more than $100,000 a year. Only 13.7 percent of education, healthcare, and social assistance workers drive to Manhattan. The pause strips $16.5 billion from transit upgrades, hurting the 900,000-plus daily transit riders. Renae Reynolds and Danny Pearlstein, transit advocates, slammed the decision. They argue it blocks an 'equitable economic recovery' and leaves vulnerable New Yorkers stranded on slow, crowded trains and buses.

• What a Surprise! Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Pause Helps Rich Suburban Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-22

A 51-year-old man died on Bruckner Expressway, crushed by two sedans. One driver was unlicensed. The front end struck center mass. His body broke in the road. No borough, no name, no chance. Only the violence of impact remains.

A 51-year-old pedestrian was killed on Bruckner Expressway, struck and crushed by two sedans, according to the police report. The report states, 'A 51-year-old man was struck and crushed by two sedans. One driver was unlicensed. The front end hit center mass. He died in the road. Whole body broken.' The first sedan, traveling north, was driven by an unlicensed driver, with the point of impact listed as 'center front end.' Police cite 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The second sedan was parked at the time of the crash. The report does not name the victim or specify the borough. The focus remains on the lethal consequences of driver inattention and lack of a valid license, as documented by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4742603, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A turning SUV cut across Hylan Boulevard. A Honda motorcycle slammed into its front. The rider, thirty-one, was thrown and crushed. Helmeted, he died at the scene. Seven watched from inside the SUV. The street swallowed another life.

A deadly collision unfolded on Hylan Boulevard near Dongan Hill Avenue when a 2012 SUV, carrying seven occupants, made a left turn and crossed into the path of a northbound 2006 Honda motorcycle. According to the police report, the crash was caused by 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Unsafe Speed.' The motorcycle rider, a 31-year-old man, was ejected and suffered fatal crush injuries, dying at the scene. The report states the SUV was 'Making Left Turn' while the motorcycle was 'Going Straight Ahead.' The police report also cites 'Turning Improperly' as a contributing factor. The victim wore a helmet, but the impact proved unsurvivable. The focus remains on the SUV driver's failure to yield and improper turning, which led directly to the fatal impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4742616, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

Steel shrieked on Manida Street. Two sedans collided in the dark. One ran the light. A 21-year-old woman in the front seat died, her body broken in silence. The parked box truck watched, untouched, useless.

According to the police report, two sedans collided near Manida Street and Viele Avenue in the Bronx at 2:40 a.m. The report states that 'one ran the light.' The contributing factor listed is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' This means a driver ignored a traffic signal, a critical error that led to the crash. The impact was severe: a 21-year-old woman, riding as a front passenger, was killed. Her injuries were described as affecting her entire body, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The report notes a parked box truck was present but was not involved in the collision. No driver or vehicle errors are attributed to the victim. The fatal outcome stemmed from a driver’s failure to obey traffic controls, as documented by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4741599, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18

A box truck swung right on Greenpoint Avenue. An e-bike rider, just 28, kept straight. She was thrown, her hip shattered. She died there, helmet on, beneath the Queens sun. Failure to yield and driver distraction ended her ride.

According to the police report, a box truck was making a right turn at Greenpoint Avenue and 43rd Street in Queens when it struck a 28-year-old woman riding an e-bike straight through the intersection. The impact ejected her from the bike, shattering her hip and causing fatal injuries. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors on the part of the truck driver. The e-bike rider was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but this is mentioned only after the driver's errors. The collision occurred at 11:35 a.m., with the truck's right front bumper cited as the point of impact. The woman died at the scene, another life ended by a driver’s failure to yield and lack of attention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4741425, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-18