Ten Dead, Hundreds Hurt—Senator Liu: Streets Still Bleed

A Mercedes SUV flipped turning south on Main Street. The unbelted driver, 38, was thrown out, bleeding and broken but conscious. The SUV hit a parked Honda. Metal and bodies scattered. The street bore the scars of violence.

A 2022 Mercedes SUV overturned while making a right turn southbound on Main Street. According to the police report, the 38-year-old driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected from the vehicle and suffered severe bleeding across his body. The SUV struck a parked 2011 Honda, damaging its right rear quarter panel. The police report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No other driver errors are cited in the data. The crash left the Mercedes demolished and the street marked by injury and wreckage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4633747 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

NYPD and Jo Anne Simon call for tougher drunk driving laws. Police ramp up DWI patrols for Memorial Day. Officials urge Albany to drop legal BAC to .05%. They cite rising deaths. Advocates say alcohol fuels a third of crashes. Streets stay deadly.

On May 26, 2023, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (District 52) joined NYPD and city officials to announce increased traffic enforcement for Memorial Day and to advocate for state legislation lowering the legal blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) threshold from .08% to .05%. The announcement, made at One Police Plaza, highlighted the bill sponsored by Simon and Sen. John Liu. The matter summary states, 'Officials called on Albany to pass legislation to lower the BAC threshold to .05%, arguing it would reduce DWI fatalities by about 10% and align with other countries.' Simon declared, 'Lowering the BAC limit from .08% to .05% is desperately needed to adequately tackle this epidemic of traffic violence.' NYPD Chief Kim Royster and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez echoed the urgency. The bill awaits action in Albany. No formal safety analyst note was provided, but officials cite 43 NYC DWI deaths in 2021 and say 30% of state crashes involve alcohol.

• NYPD to step up enforcement of drink driving over Memorial Day weekend, amny.com, Published 2023-05-26

A Nissan sedan turned left at 58 Road and 142 Street. Its bumper struck a 56-year-old woman in the crosswalk. Her arm was crushed and partly lost. She stayed awake through the pain. Police cite driver inexperience.

A crash at 58 Road and 142 Street in Queens left a 56-year-old woman with a crushed and partially amputated arm. According to the police report, a Nissan sedan made a left turn and its left front bumper hit the woman as she crossed in a marked crosswalk. She remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor. The driver, a 62-year-old woman, was licensed and stayed at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The crash shows the danger pedestrians face in crosswalks when drivers lose control.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4628110 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Hyundai SUV turned right. The driver looked away. The front end hit a 62-year-old woman in the face. Blood poured. She stayed conscious. The SUV showed no damage. Distraction behind the wheel left her bleeding in the street.

A Hyundai SUV made a right turn on Jordan Street near 35th Avenue in Queens. The driver struck a 62-year-old woman crossing the street. According to the police report, 'A Hyundai SUV turned right. A 62-year-old woman crossing the street took the front end to her face. Blood poured. She stayed conscious. The SUV stood clean. The driver had looked away.' The woman suffered severe bleeding to her face but remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The SUV sustained no visible damage. No other contributing factors were cited.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4626398 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Toyota SUV struck a 66-year-old man crossing 41st Avenue near 147th Street. The impact crushed his head and organs. He died at the scene. The street was dark. The city claimed another life.

A 66-year-old man was killed when a Toyota SUV hit him on 41st Avenue near 147th Street in Queens. According to the police report, the man was crossing the street without a signal when the SUV, traveling east, struck him with its right front bumper. The pedestrian suffered fatal head trauma and internal injuries. The police report lists 'Unspecified' as the contributing factor, with no specific driver error cited. No mention of helmet or signal use appears as a contributing factor. The driver was licensed and continued straight ahead. No injuries were reported among the vehicle occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4624334 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A BMW crashed into a parked sedan on the Long Island Expressway. Metal twisted. The driver, 51, bled from the head but stayed awake. No warning. Blood and glass marked the night. The crash left silence and injury behind.

A BMW sedan, traveling east on the Long Island Expressway, struck a parked sedan. According to the police report, 'A BMW drove east and struck a parked sedan. Metal crumpled. The driver, 51, bled from the head. He stayed conscious.' The driver suffered severe head bleeding but remained alert at the scene. Police listed 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as a contributing factor. The parked sedan was unoccupied. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left blood and glass scattered on the asphalt. The report does not mention helmet use or turn signals as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4613690 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Prospect Park’s East Drive gets a full overhaul. Fresh pavement replaces potholes. Cyclists and pedestrians gain wider, dedicated lanes. Cars lose ground. Officials call it a pilot for city parks. If it works, Central Park could be next.

On March 8, 2023, city officials announced a major redesign of Prospect Park’s East Drive. The project, not tied to a specific council bill, begins March 12 and is billed as an 18-month pilot. The main loop’s eastern stretch will be repaved and repainted, giving cyclists a 16-to-18-foot shared lane with authorized vehicles, flanked by two pedestrian lanes up to 14 feet wide. The city rejected a two-bike-lane alternative, citing pedestrian access needs. State Sen. Zellnor Myrie praised the upgrade, calling Prospect Park a treasure. Chief Public Realm Officer Ya-Ting Liu said, 'Re-examining how we design the roads in our park system is a perfect example of how we’re advancing the Mayor’s vision for quality public spaces throughout the city.' Officials stress the park is closed to private vehicles. The redesign aims to set a new standard for park safety and access across New York.

• New Prospect Park Road Redesign Paves the Way for Central Park, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-08

A Lexus sedan hit a 75-year-old woman crossing 47th Avenue. The car struck her head-on. She bled from the head. She died. The driver was distracted. The street stayed silent. The system failed her.

A 75-year-old woman was killed while crossing 47th Avenue near 192nd Street. According to the police report, 'A 75-year-old woman crossed the road. A Lexus came straight, struck her head-on. She was conscious, broken, bleeding from the head. The driver was distracted. The car was fine. She died.' The crash data lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The driver, operating a 2022 Lexus sedan, went straight and struck the pedestrian with the center front end of the vehicle. The pedestrian suffered fatal head injuries. No other injuries were reported. The driver’s distraction led to the deadly impact. No other contributing factors were listed.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607655 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

Senator John Liu pushes to drop New York’s legal blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05. Drunk drivers killed 307 people statewide in 2019. The bill aims to cut deaths. Utah saw fatal crashes fall after a similar move. The message: don’t drink and drive.

On February 7, 2023, Queens State Senator John Liu, representing District 16, publicly supported a bill in the State Legislature to lower the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers from 0.08 to 0.05. The bill’s summary states, 'The 0.05 BAC simply says, don’t drink and drive.' Liu, as the bill’s primary sponsor, emphasized that anyone found with a BAC over 0.05 would be charged with DWI. City Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez joined the push, warning, 'Whether they are at 0.06 or 0.12 or 0.20, the consequences can be deadly.' Drunk driving caused 307 deaths in New York State in 2019, nearly a third of all fatal crashes. Utah’s adoption of a 0.05 BAC limit led to a 20% drop in fatal crashes in its first year. The bill is part of a broader effort to protect pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers from impaired drivers.

• City transportation chief joins state push to lower blood alcohol limits, amny.com, Published 2023-02-07

A sedan turns left on Bayside Avenue. A 74-year-old man crosses with the signal. Metal strikes flesh. His shoulder breaks. He falls. The driver stays. The street falls silent.

A 1999 Toyota sedan struck a 74-year-old man crossing Bayside Avenue at 154th Street in Queens. According to the police report, the pedestrian was crossing with the signal when the sedan, making a left turn, hit him. The man suffered a broken shoulder. The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor. The driver remained at the scene. No other injuries were reported. The crash shows the danger when drivers fail to yield to pedestrians, even when signals are clear.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4594559 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

City officials push Albany to drop the drunk driving threshold from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. The bill lingers in committee. Drunk drivers killed 42 New Yorkers last year. Messaging still centers on not drinking, not on not driving.

Senate Bill sponsored by John Liu and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon seeks to lower New York’s DWI blood-alcohol threshold from 0.08% to 0.05%. The bill, re-submitted in the last legislative session, remains stuck in committee. At a December 22, 2022 press conference, DOT Deputy Commissioner Margaret Forgione said, 'There is not really a safe level of drinking and driving, but the law suggests there is.' Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez and NYPD’s Kim Royster also spoke, focusing on enforcement and urging drivers to avoid drinking before driving. Advocates like Alisa McMorris of Mothers Against Drunk Driving called for stronger messaging: 'We want people to make choices before they leave their home.' Despite evidence that lowering the threshold could cut traffic deaths by 10%, city messaging still stops short of telling people not to drive to events where they plan to drink.

• How to Cut Drunk Driving — Discourage the Drinking … Or the Driving?, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-12-22

City and state officials want to drop the legal blood-alcohol limit to 0.05. The bill sits in committee. Drunk drivers killed 42 people last year. Officials talk tough but focus on drinking, not driving. The danger remains for those outside the car.

Senate and Assembly bill, sponsored by Sen. John Liu and Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, seeks to lower New York’s drunk driving threshold from 0.08 to 0.05 percent BAC. Announced at a December 22, 2022 press conference, the bill has stalled in committee for years. The matter aims to redefine DWI: 'driving while intoxicated would be defined as anything above a blood-alcohol content of 0.05 percent.' Simon and Liu back the measure; city DOT and NYPD leaders joined them. DOT Deputy Commissioner Margaret Forgione said, 'There is not really a safe level of drinking and driving, but the law suggests there is.' In 2021, 42 people died in drunk driving crashes, up 60 percent from previous years. Officials promise enforcement and education, but their messaging targets drinking, not the act of driving. Vulnerable road users remain at risk while the law lags.

• How to Cut Drunk Driving — Discourage the Drinking … Or the Driving?, streetsblog.org, Published 2022-12-22

A BMW tore down the Long Island Expressway. The driver lost control. Metal twisted. Two young women in the back flew from the car. One died on the road. The other was hurt. Speed killed. The night swallowed the rest.

On the Long Island Expressway, a BMW sedan crashed while speeding westbound. According to the police report, 'A BMW tore through the dark. It hit something. Metal crumpled. An 18-year-old girl, no belt, right rear seat, flew from the car. She landed on the cold road. She did not get up.' The crash killed an 18-year-old woman, ejected from the right rear seat without safety equipment. Another 18-year-old woman, also ejected from the left rear seat, suffered serious injuries. The 20-year-old male driver was found unconscious with head injuries. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. The data shows both rear passengers lacked safety equipment, but this is noted only after the driver’s speed error.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4587009 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 73-year-old man died under the wheels of a Ford van at a notorious Staten Island crossing. The driver walked free. The intersection lacked a proper pedestrian signal. Forest Avenue is a killing ground. City leaders have failed to act. Blood stains the street.

On November 21, 2022, Yingqui Liu, age 73, was struck and killed by a turning van at South Avenue and Forest Avenue, Staten Island. No charges were filed against the driver. The intersection, notorious for crashes, lacked a pedestrian signal on the western crosswalk. According to city statistics, Forest Avenue saw 60 crashes and 33 injuries in one year, with three deaths since 2019. Rose Uscianowski of Transportation Alternatives called the killing 'heartbreaking and outrageous,' demanding safe pedestrian and bike access between the Bayonne and Goethals bridges. She said, 'Crossing the street should not be a death sentence.' At least 99 pedestrians have died on city streets this year, making it the second deadliest since Vision Zero began. Forty-two seniors have been killed, three-quarters while walking. The city has not improved this deadly stretch.

• Pedestrian Struck and Killed on Dangerous Staten Island Arterial; No Charges, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-11-22

A BMW tore through a red light on 37th Avenue. Steel met steel. The driver, twenty-five, died at the scene. The night held its breath. Traffic control was ignored. The street stayed silent. One life ended in a flash.

A deadly crash unfolded on 37th Avenue near Parsons Boulevard in Queens. According to the police report, a 25-year-old man driving a BMW westbound ignored a traffic signal and crashed head-on. The driver suffered fatal head injuries and died behind the wheel. The report states: “Traffic Control Disregarded.” No other injuries were specified for the other listed occupants. The data lists no helmet or signal issues. The crash highlights the lethal consequences when traffic controls are ignored. The scene was marked by twisted metal and silence, the cost of a single mistake.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4583557 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

An Audi SUV hit a woman in the crosswalk on Willets Point Boulevard. She crossed with the light. The driver failed to yield. The impact broke her body. Pain followed. The street stayed loud. The right-of-way was hers. It was not given.

A 40-year-old woman was crossing Willets Point Boulevard at 149th Street in Queens with the signal when an Audi SUV struck her. According to the police report, 'She crossed with the light. The Audi came fast, struck her center mass. Her body broke. Pain bloomed. The driver kept straight. The right-of-way was hers. It was not given.' The pedestrian suffered injuries to her entire body and was listed with apparent death at the scene. The driver, a 46-year-old woman, was operating the vehicle eastbound and failed to yield the right-of-way, as noted in both the police report and crash data. The only contributing factor listed is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.'

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4579141 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A Honda sedan veered north on Clearview Expressway. The car ripped open. The 20-year-old driver died, crushed behind the wheel. A 22-year-old passenger was knocked unconscious, head injured. The night was empty. Speed and lane changes left wreckage.

A 2007 Honda sedan crashed while heading north on Clearview Expressway at 2:05 a.m. The left side of the car tore open. According to the police report, the 20-year-old male driver was killed, suffering crush injuries to the head. A 22-year-old male passenger was rendered unconscious with head trauma and internal injuries. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Unsafe Lane Changing' as contributing factors. The sedan was changing lanes before impact, striking on the left front bumper and damaging the left side doors. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The police report confirms the road was empty at the time of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4573369 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A boy on a bike turned left. An SUV turned right. The view was blocked. Steel struck skin. Blood poured from his leg. He stayed conscious. Pain did not leave him. The street stayed silent.

A 14-year-old boy riding a bike was struck by an SUV on 190 Street. According to the police report, both the cyclist and the SUV driver had their views obstructed. The boy suffered severe lacerations to his lower leg but did not lose consciousness. The SUV, a 2009 Hyundai, was making a right turn while the boy was making a left. The report lists 'View Obstructed/Limited' as the contributing factor for both parties. No other driver errors were noted. The crash left the boy injured, his blood on the street, while the SUV’s right front bumper bore the mark of impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4568717 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A 31-year-old man rode an e-scooter on Roosevelt Avenue. Fatigue took hold. He lost control. He flew from the scooter. His head struck the pavement. Blood pooled. He lay semiconscious, alone, bleeding into the city’s noise.

A 31-year-old man was severely injured while riding an e-scooter near 124-02 Roosevelt Avenue in Queens. According to the police report, the rider was 'drowsy on an e-scooter' and was ejected from the vehicle. He struck his head on the pavement and suffered severe bleeding, lying semiconscious at the scene. The report lists 'Fatigued/Drowsy' as the primary contributing factor in the crash. No helmet was worn, as noted in the data, but this detail follows the identification of driver error. The crash left the rider alone and gravely hurt, another victim of the city’s relentless traffic violence.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4560920 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04

A sedan hit a young woman as she stepped down from a car on Prince Street. Her arm split open. Blood ran. The driver was distracted. She stayed conscious, clutching the wound. The car rolled on, untouched. The street stayed dangerous.

A 22-year-old woman was struck by a southbound Honda sedan while getting out of a vehicle near 37-20 Prince Street in Queens. According to the police report, the driver was distracted at the time of the crash. The impact tore open the woman’s arm, causing severe bleeding, but she remained conscious at the scene. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. No damage was reported to the vehicle. Other occupants in the vehicles were not injured. The crash highlights the ongoing threat to pedestrians from inattentive drivers on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4557754 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-08-04