Northern Boulevard: Blood on the Asphalt, Silence in City Hall

Albany stalls on S5602. The mayor stays quiet. Speed cameras hang in the balance. Some senators push for 24/7 enforcement. Others hedge. Council members want camera cash for roads. The clock runs out. Streets stay dangerous. Lives hang on the vote.

Senate bill S5602, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Gounardes, would expand New York City’s speed camera program to 24/7 operation. The legislative session nears its end with no clear action. State Sen. Jabari Brisport supports the bill, calling for round-the-clock enforcement. Sen. John Liu backs maintaining cameras but won’t commit to S5602. Some City Council members demand that camera revenue fund local road improvements. Assembly Member Dick Gottfried doubts the Council will send the required home rule message in time, while Assembly Member William Magnarelli promises to advance the bill if they do. Mayor Adams’ team claims safety was discussed in Albany, but the mayor himself stayed silent. The bill faces opposition over increased penalties and insurance notifications. Without action, the city’s speed cameras—and the safety of its streets—are at risk.

• ALBANY NOTEBOOK: Mayor Treks Upstate, But Speed Cameras are Still at Risk of Expiring, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-05-18

A man on a Suzuki swerved on the Long Island Expressway. He tried to dodge a ghost car. The bike crashed. His left leg broke. Blood pooled in the dark. He waited, helmeted, awake, pain sharp and real.

A 54-year-old man riding a 2018 Suzuki motorcycle suffered severe leg injuries on the Long Island Expressway at 2:15 a.m. According to the police report, the rider 'swerved to dodge a phantom car.' The motorcycle crashed, shattering his left leg. The report lists 'Reaction to Uninvolved Vehicle' as a contributing factor. The man was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. No other injuries were reported. The data does not indicate any driver error beyond the reaction to another vehicle. The crash left the rider conscious and bleeding, waiting for help in the night.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4525078, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Nissan swung left on Union Turnpike. Its bumper hit a young man crossing with the signal. He fell hard. Blood pooled by his ear. The driver failed to yield. The man stayed conscious, pain and blood on the cold pavement.

A 23-year-old man was struck by a Nissan sedan while crossing Union Turnpike at 175th Street in Queens. According to the police report, the Nissan turned left and its bumper hit the pedestrian, who was crossing with the signal. The man suffered a head injury and severe bleeding but remained conscious at the scene. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor for the driver. The driver was licensed and remained at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The data shows the pedestrian was following the signal when hit. The crash underscores the danger when drivers fail to yield at intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4512933, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A westbound SUV struck a parked Honda on Horace Harding Expressway near 174th Street. The impact was fatal. The driver, a 40-year-old woman, died at the scene. Inattention behind the wheel. Metal twisted. The car never moved again.

A westbound SUV crashed into a parked Honda on Horace Harding Expressway near 174th Street. The driver, a 40-year-old woman, died behind the wheel. According to the police report, 'A westbound SUV slammed into a parked Honda. The driver, a 40-year-old woman without a seatbelt, died behind the wheel. Morning light on metal. Cause: inattention. The car never moved again.' The police listed 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The data shows the driver was not wearing a seatbelt, but this is noted only after the primary cause: inattention. No other injuries were reported. The crash left the car still and silent, a stark mark of systemic danger on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4512714, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Chevy SUV turned left on Franklin Avenue. The driver failed to yield. The front end hit a 67-year-old man crossing with the signal. He suffered head and crush injuries. He lay conscious beneath the grill. The light stayed green.

A 67-year-old man was crossing Franklin Avenue with the signal when a Chevy SUV made a left turn and struck him. According to the police report, 'the front end struck his head. He lay crushed and conscious beneath the grill, the light still green.' The pedestrian suffered head and crush injuries. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver, a 72-year-old man, was licensed and wore a lap belt. No injuries were reported for the vehicle occupants. The crash highlights the danger when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians who have the right of way.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4509671, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan struck an 88-year-old man on Northern Boulevard. The car kept moving straight. The man’s skull broke. He died under streetlights. No crosswalk. No signal. Metal untouched. Flesh did not survive.

An 88-year-old pedestrian was killed on Northern Boulevard near 147th Street in Queens. According to the police report, 'An 88-year-old man stepped into the dark. A 2018 Honda came fast and straight. Metal stayed whole. His skull did not. He died there, under streetlights, with pain in his head and no signal to guide him.' The sedan, traveling east, struck the man as he crossed outside a crosswalk and without a signal. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The vehicle sustained no damage. The pedestrian suffered fatal head injuries and died at the scene.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4509549, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan turned left at 164th and Jewel. Metal slammed into a 64-year-old woman’s head as she crossed with the signal. Blood spilled. She stayed conscious. The car’s front end crumpled. She fell. The street held her pain.

A sedan making a left turn at the corner of 164th Street and Jewel Avenue in Queens struck a 64-year-old woman as she crossed with the signal. According to the police report, the woman suffered a head injury with severe bleeding but remained conscious at the scene. The report states, “A sedan turned left. A 64-year-old woman crossed with the signal. Metal struck her head. Blood ran.” The listed contributing factor is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' The car’s center front end was damaged in the impact. The woman was in the crosswalk, following the signal, when the driver failed to yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4509431, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A box truck turned right at Union Turnpike and 193rd Street. Its front end hit an 83-year-old woman in the crosswalk. She fell. She died on the cold pavement. The truck showed no damage. The street stayed silent.

An 83-year-old woman was killed when a box truck struck her as she crossed Union Turnpike at 193rd Street in Queens. According to the police report, the truck was making a right turn when its front end hit the woman in the crosswalk. She suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors, and notes the truck sustained no damage. The driver was licensed and remained at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The police report does not mention helmet use, signals, or pedestrian error. The crash left a vulnerable road user dead on a city street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4505331, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 19-year-old crossed with the signal. An Audi turned left. Steel hit flesh. His hip broke. The driver kept going. The street stayed quiet. The wound did not.

A 2007 Audi sedan, driven by a 49-year-old woman, struck a 19-year-old man as he crossed Utopia Parkway with the signal. According to the police report, the driver was making a left turn when she failed to yield the right-of-way. The impact shattered the pedestrian’s hip and left him in pain. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the primary contributing factor. The driver remained licensed and uninjured. The pedestrian was crossing legally at the intersection. No other contributing factors were noted in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4496432, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

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.

• Suspect Charged With Murder In "Unprovoked" Fatal Shoving Of Woman Onto Times Square Subway Tracks, gothamist.com, Published 2022-01-16