Blood on the Asphalt: Deadly Streets, Empty Promises

SD 18: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 7, 2025

The Numbers Do Not Lie

Twenty dead. Sixty-eight seriously injured. In the past three years, Senate District 18 has seen 10,597 crashes. The toll climbs: children, elders, workers. A 26-year-old cyclist was killed on Evergreen Avenue. A pedestrian was crushed by a dump truck on Withers Street. A toddler was struck by an e-bike on Bedford Avenue and rushed to Bellevue with injuries to her stomach. The cyclist died. The child survived. The street stayed the same.

The Human Cost

“Broken ankle, broken humorous, bunch of fractures in my skull.” Ruari Fay-Handebeaux described his injuries after a hit-and-run in Bushwick. He was thrown ten feet by a car and left in the intersection. His friend said, “He gets absolutely launched, maybe 10 to 15 feet right into the middle of the intersection, and just left there,” as reported by ABC7. The driver fled. The intersection remains unchanged.

A three-year-old girl stepped from a double-parked car into a bike lane. An e-bike struck her. She was knocked down and taken to the hospital. The cyclist stayed. The cars stayed. The danger stayed, as shown by New York Post.

The Relentless Tally

The numbers crawl higher. 5,339 injuries. 1,705 of them are people aged 25 to 34. 787 are 18 to 24. 386 are children. Four elders, aged 65 to 74, are dead. The oldest, over 75, are not spared. The city counts the bodies. The city does not change the street.

Leadership: Action and Silence

Senator Julia Salazar has backed bills for safer streets. She voted yes on S 9718, pushing for complete street design. She co-sponsored S 5008, calling for automated bike lane enforcement. She joined calls for concrete barriers on Grand Street and supported rebates for e-bike access. But the deaths keep coming. The bills are not enough until the streets change. Every delay is another body on the pavement.

What Next: No More Waiting

The crisis is not fate. It is policy. Call Senator Salazar. Call your council member. Demand hardened bike lanes, lower speed limits, and real enforcement. Take action now. Do not wait for another name to be added to the list.