Another Body, Another Excuse: Blood on Comrie’s Watch

Two sedans slammed head-on in the dark on 99 Avenue. Metal twisted. A young man in the middle seat bled hard from the face. Drivers and passengers hurt. Signals ignored. The street fell silent under wreckage and blood.

Two sedans collided head-on on 99 Avenue. According to the police report, both vehicles ignored traffic controls. The crash left a 22-year-old male passenger with severe facial bleeding, a 23-year-old male driver with neck injuries, and a 29-year-old male driver with back injuries. All were conscious and belted. The report states: “Signals were ignored. Speed unchecked.” The listed contributing factor is 'Traffic Control Disregarded.' No mention of helmet or signal use as a cause. The crash underscores the danger when drivers disregard traffic controls, leaving passengers and drivers wounded in the aftermath.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4521741, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Honda crashed into a parked Nissan in Queens before dawn. Metal twisted. Three men hurt. Blood on faces. One passenger bled badly but stayed conscious. Alcohol played a part. The street was quiet. The danger was not.

A Honda sedan struck a parked Nissan on 104th Avenue near 186th Street in Queens at 4 a.m. Three men were injured. According to the police report, 'Alcohol was involved.' The 22-year-old front passenger suffered severe bleeding to his face but remained conscious. The 23-year-old Honda driver had minor facial bleeding. Another driver, age 24, reported neck pain. The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. Both injured drivers and the passenger were using seat belts. The crash left the Honda’s front end crushed. The Nissan was parked and unoccupied. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4522904, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Lexus ran the light on Hoover Avenue. Steel hit flesh. The e-bike rider’s head split open. Blood pooled on the street. He stayed conscious, thrown partway. The driver did not yield. The city stood still.

A 43-year-old man riding an e-bike was struck by a Lexus sedan at Hoover Avenue and 134th Street in Queens. According to the police report, the Lexus disregarded traffic control and hit the rider, causing severe head injuries and heavy bleeding. The e-bike rider was partially ejected and remained conscious. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the primary fault lies with the driver’s failure to obey the light and pay attention. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4517131, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Toyota SUV hit a westbound e-scooter at 223rd Street and 111th Avenue. The 19-year-old rider suffered deep leg wounds. His scooter was crushed. The SUV’s front end dented. The driver kept straight. Failure to yield marked the crash.

A Toyota SUV struck a 19-year-old e-scooter rider at the corner of 223rd Street and 111th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the SUV hit the westbound scooter, leaving the rider with severe lacerations to his leg. The scooter was demolished. The SUV’s front end was damaged, but the vehicle continued straight after impact. Police identified 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor for both the SUV driver and the e-scooter rider. The rider was not using any safety equipment, as noted in the report, but the primary cause listed was the driver’s failure to yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4513903, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Steel met steel on 212th Street. Two sedans crashed. A teenager bled from the head. Another’s hip crushed. Parked cars struck, glass scattered. Night held the wreckage and pain. The street fell silent after the chaos.

Two sedans collided near 212th Street and 110th Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the crash left a 17-year-old passenger with injuries to his entire body and a complaint of pain. An 18-year-old passenger suffered severe head bleeding. One driver, age 26, sustained crush injuries to his hip and upper leg. Another 18-year-old driver reported whiplash. Parked cars were struck and damaged. The police report lists 'Other Vehicular' as the contributing factor for both vehicles. No specific driver errors such as speeding or failure to yield are noted in the data. Safety equipment is only mentioned for some occupants and is not listed as a contributing factor. The crash left metal twisted and lives changed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4513786, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Four sedans crash on Farmers Boulevard. Metal twists. Glass flies. A 23-year-old woman dies at the wheel. Engines stop. The street grows quiet. The system fails. No clear cause. Only loss remains.

On Farmers Boulevard, four sedans collided midday. According to the police report, a 23-year-old woman, belted in her car, died at the scene. The crash involved vehicles traveling north, south, and east, with one parked sedan struck. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. All injuries except the fatality are unspecified. The police report states: 'Farmers Boulevard, midday—four sedans collide. A 23-year-old woman, belted in her car, dies at the wheel. Glass scatters. Metal folds. Engines go still. The street holds her silence.' No helmet or signal issues are cited. The cause remains officially unspecified in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4510803, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A tractor-trailer struck a parked sedan on 143rd Street. The truck kept moving. Inside the car, a 19-year-old boy died. The street stayed silent. Metal twisted. No one stopped. The crash left a family shattered.

A tractor-trailer hit a parked Nissan sedan near 86-40 143rd Street in Queens. According to the police report, the truck rolled on after the impact, leaving the sedan crushed. Inside the car, a 19-year-old male occupant was found dead, belted in his seat. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The truck showed no damage and did not stop. The sedan was struck on the left side doors. No helmet or signal use was listed as a factor. The crash highlights the lethal risk heavy vehicles pose to people inside parked cars when drivers are inattentive.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4505578, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

City Council calls for Albany to extend and expand the MTA On-Demand E-Hail Paratransit Pilot. The resolution demands fare parity, no ride caps, and equal service for disabled New Yorkers. Lawmakers say current limits are unjust and restrict mobility.

Resolution 0002-2022, filed at session's end, came before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on February 10, 2022. The measure urges passage of S.4037/A.5896, which would 'extend and expand the scope of the MTA On-Demand E-Hail Paratransit Pilot Program.' Council Member Justin L. Brannan led sponsorship, joined by Ayala, Menin, Louis, Hanif, Hudson, Bottcher, Farías, Brooks-Powers, and Brewer. The resolution slams service caps and fare surcharges, calling them 'inequitable and unjust.' It demands that paratransit users get the same fare, hours, and ride freedom as subway and bus riders. The bill would end rationing and financial barriers for disabled New Yorkers who rely on Access-A-Ride. The Council’s action highlights the systemic barriers faced by vulnerable road users and presses for equal, unrestricted access.

• File Res 0002-2022, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2022-02-10

Governor Hochul’s budget cracks down on toll cheats. New laws hit drivers who hide plates or fake exemptions. The MTA loses millions to evasion. Lawmakers debate fairness and credits. Enforcement sharpens. Revenue for transit hangs in the balance.

Bill 42, part of Governor Hochul’s 2022 executive budget, aims to enforce congestion pricing by introducing new penalties for toll evasion. The proposal, discussed in the Senate on January 20, 2022, lets the DMV deny registration to vehicles with unpaid tolls and sets fines up to $5,000 for fraudulent exemption claims. The matter summary states: 'Governor Kathy Hochul's executive budget includes several changes to New York's congestion pricing program, which is expected to provide crucial revenue for transit upgrades.' Senator James Skoufis, mentioned in the hearing, pushed for credits for certain drivers. The bill is supported by MTA spokesperson Eugene Resnick and Governor Hochul’s office, who say it will ensure fairness. The MTA reports $4 million lost annually to toll evaders. The review board will finalize fee structures and exemptions. No specific safety impact for vulnerable road users was provided.

• Hochul Paves Way Forward For Congestion Pricing With New Laws And Penalties for Toll Evaders, gothamist.com, Published 2022-01-20

State Sen. Leroy Comrie slammed calls for more congestion pricing exemptions. He warned that carving out special breaks guts the plan’s purpose. Comrie said every exemption means less money for transit. He wants the city to hold the line. No more carve-outs.

On January 19, 2022, State Sen. Leroy Comrie, chair of the MTA committee, spoke at a legislative hearing on congestion pricing exemptions. The hearing addressed whether to grant more carve-outs to Manhattan’s congestion tolls. Comrie declared, 'I don't think there should be any exemptions, and I'm going to continue to say that there should be no exemptions.' He pushed back against senators seeking discounts for suburban drivers and city workers. Comrie warned that opening the door to more exemptions would undermine the law’s intent and threaten revenue for transit. He said, 'Once you open up that can of worms, you create major problems, because everybody wants to be exempted for something.' Comrie’s stance: keep the plan strict, protect transit funding, and don’t weaken congestion pricing with special favors.

• State Sen. Leroy Comrie, who oversees MTA committee, wants no more exemptions for NYC congestion pricing, nypost.com, Published 2022-01-19