Seven Dead This Year. One Was a Child. Who’s Next, Senator?

A man crossing Targee Street was struck and killed by an e-bike moving at unsafe speed. The impact crushed his chest. The e-bike driver, ejected in the crash, suffered back injuries. Parked cars lined the block. The street stayed silent.

A 58-year-old man was killed while crossing Targee Street near Pierce Street in Staten Island. According to the police report, an e-bike traveling north at unsafe speed struck the pedestrian, causing fatal chest injuries. The e-bike driver, a 25-year-old man, was ejected and suffered back injuries. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. Parked vehicles, including a sedan and a pickup truck, were present but not involved in the movement. No driver errors other than unsafe speed are cited. The police report does not mention helmet use or signaling as contributing factors. The crash left one dead and another injured, underscoring the lethal consequences of speed on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4813412, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A man in a Nissan crashed into a police car on Staten Island. He fired a gun through his windshield. Officers dodged the bullet but landed in the hospital, cut by glass. Police found two guns. The driver was arrested.

According to the New York Post (May 12, 2025), a 31-year-old man fled a traffic stop on Staten Island, crashed his Nissan SUV into a police cruiser, and fired a gun through his own windshield, striking the vehicle but missing the officers. The article states, “The gunman smashed his Nissan into the police car and then opened fire on the vehicle, striking it but missing the officers inside.” Officers were hospitalized for injuries from shattered glass. Police recovered two guns from the vehicle. The suspect, on parole for a prior assault, was arrested at the scene. The incident highlights the dangers of high-speed flight and armed confrontations during routine traffic enforcement.

• Driver Rams Police, Fires Through Windshield, New York Post, Published 2025-05-12

Cameras will watch for speeding on city bridges and tunnels. Fines start at $50. Lawmakers push the plan to protect workers and travelers. The program runs to 2031. Enforcement aims to slow drivers and cut risk on vital routes.

Patch reported on May 8, 2025, that New York lawmakers approved an expansion of a speed camera pilot program for MTA bridges and tunnels. The plan allows cameras on seven bridges and two tunnels, ticketing drivers who exceed speed limits. Fines start at $50 for a first offense, rising to $75 and $100 for repeat violations within 18 months. Governor Hochul's office called the program 'one more way the governor is working to improve safety on our roads and bridges for workers and travelers alike.' MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan said, 'We want to make sure that our maintenance workers and contractors are safe.' The program, part of the $254 billion state budget, will be reviewed again in 2031. The move targets driver speed, a key factor in crash severity, and signals a shift toward automated enforcement on major city crossings.

• Speed Cameras Coming To MTA Crossings, Patch, Published 2025-05-08

A sedan veered off Homestead Avenue. Metal screamed. The driver’s head bled. Three passengers hurt. Distraction behind the wheel. Parked cars crushed. Sirens wailed. The street marked by violence.

According to the police report, a sedan traveling west on Homestead Avenue struck two parked vehicles—a station wagon and another sedan. The 28-year-old male driver suffered a head injury with severe bleeding. Three passengers in the sedan were also injured. The report lists 'Outside Car Distraction' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The sedan hit the right front bumper, damaging the parked vehicles at the left rear quarter panel and center back end. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Distraction and inattention behind the wheel were the primary causes, as documented by police.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4809771, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Two sedans barreled down Hylan Boulevard and struck a man crossing against the light. Metal slammed flesh. He lay broken and unconscious. The drivers walked away. The street swallowed another body. The city kept moving.

A man was struck and severely injured by two sedans on Hylan Boulevard near Dawson Place, Staten Island, at 12:33 a.m., according to the police report. The report states, 'Two sedans struck a man crossing against the light. His body broke beneath the front ends. He lay unconscious, crushed from head to foot.' Both vehicles were traveling straight ahead, and the point of impact was the center front end of each sedan. The drivers, both licensed, were uninjured and left the scene on foot. The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to his entire body and was rendered unconscious. The police report lists the pedestrian's action as 'crossing against signal,' but contributing factors for the drivers are marked 'unspecified.' The narrative centers the violence of the collision and the devastating injuries inflicted by the vehicles.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4805898, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Honda SUV barrels east on Steuben Street. The driver’s view is blocked. An old man crosses with the signal. Metal hits flesh. Blood pools, deep cuts mark his head. A woman and child inside the car are also hurt, both conscious.

According to the police report, a Honda SUV traveling east on Steuben Street near Hylan Boulevard struck a 76-year-old man as he crossed the intersection with the signal. The report states the driver’s view was obstructed and explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor. The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to the head and was conscious at the scene. The impact also injured a woman and child inside the vehicle, both of whom remained conscious. The narrative describes the collision in stark terms: 'Metal strikes flesh. Blood on the head, deep cuts.' The report makes clear the pedestrian was crossing legally, with the signal, when the SUV’s center front end struck him. Driver error and limited visibility are directly cited as causes, underscoring the systemic dangers faced by those on foot.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4804886, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Chevy SUV veered too close on Davis Ave, smashing three parked cars. Metal shrieked. A 32-year-old man, belted in, struck his head and bled. He stayed conscious, sprawled on the pavement as sirens wailed through Staten Island.

According to the police report, a Chevy SUV traveling south on Davis Ave near Delafield Ave 'clipped too close,' striking three parked vehicles. The report states that the crash resulted in 'metal screamed' and left a 32-year-old male driver, who was wearing a lap belt, with severe head lacerations. He remained conscious at the scene. The police report cites 'Passing Too Closely' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' as contributing factors. The SUV's right front quarter panel was damaged, and the impact involved the left side doors. No evidence in the report suggests any error or action by the parked vehicles or their occupants. The crash underscores the danger posed by improper passing and lane usage on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4802335, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A police cruiser swerved from a U-turning car and crashed into a building. Two officers went to the hospital. The street bore the scars. Metal, glass, brick—shattered. Sirens cut the air. The city’s danger showed, again.

ABC7 reported on March 15, 2025, that two NYPD officers crashed their cruiser into a building at Victory Boulevard and Montgomery Street in Staten Island. The officers were responding to a call about a man with a gun. According to the article, 'another vehicle attempted to make a U-turn, causing the police cruiser to swerve to avoid a collision.' Both officers were hospitalized and are expected to recover. The crash highlights the risks of sudden maneuvers and U-turns on busy city streets. No bystanders were reported injured. The incident underscores the persistent dangers posed by unpredictable driver actions and the high stakes of emergency response in dense urban environments.

• Police Cruiser Slams Into Staten Island Building, ABC7, Published 2025-03-15

A Ford SUV hit an 80-year-old man head-on near Benton Avenue. His head struck the pavement. Blood pooled beneath him. He died under a gray Staten Island sky. The street bore silent witness to another life ended by steel.

An 80-year-old pedestrian was killed when a northbound Ford SUV struck him head-on on Hylan Boulevard near Benton Avenue, according to the police report. The report states the man 'stepped into the street against the light.' The vehicle, a 2008 Ford SUV, was traveling straight ahead when the impact occurred, with the point of contact at the center front end. The police report describes the aftermath: 'His head hit hard. Blood pooled on the pavement. He died under a gray Staten Island sky.' The contributing factors listed in the police data are 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as Failure to Yield or Distraction are cited in the report. The narrative centers the violence of the impact and the fatal consequences for the pedestrian. No mention is made of helmet use or other pedestrian behavior as a contributing factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4797079, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Two sedans collided head-on on Delafield Avenue, Staten Island. A 21-year-old woman suffered a deep head wound but remained conscious. Police cited driver inattention as the cause. Metal folded inward, showing the violent impact of the crash.

According to the police report, at 10:30 a.m. near Delafield Avenue and Raymond Place in Staten Island, two sedans collided head-on. The impact caused severe front-end damage to both vehicles. A 21-year-old female driver was injured with a deep head laceration but remained conscious and was wearing a seatbelt. The report cites 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor to the crash. The narrative states, 'She had looked away. The street did not.' This highlights the critical role of driver distraction in causing the violent collision. No other contributing factors were noted for the victim. The crash left metal folded inward and a young driver injured, underscoring the dangers of inattention behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4796024, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Reinvent Albany blasted a bill to exempt NYPD officers from Manhattan congestion tolls. The group called it unfair, a $22 million giveaway to a powerful few. They warned it would drain funds, raise tolls, and reward special interests over public safety.

On January 16, 2025, Reinvent Albany, a good government watchdog, issued a statement opposing a bill from Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato and Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. The bill seeks to exempt NYPD officers, even off-duty, from paying congestion pricing tolls in Manhattan’s central business district. Reinvent Albany called the measure 'contrary to notions of basic fairness' and a '$22 million handout' to a special interest. The Traffic Mobility Review Board had already rejected such exemptions. The group warned that multiple exemption bills could cost the public $100 million yearly and force higher tolls for everyone else. Neither Pheffer Amato nor Scarcella-Spanton commented. The watchdog urged lawmakers to serve the many, not the powerful few.

• Watchdog Group: No Congestion Pricing Toll Exemptions for Cops!, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2025-01-16

A box truck turned right on Brighton Beach Avenue. Its bumper struck a young woman crossing. Blood pooled on the pavement. She stayed conscious, leg torn open. The truck stood silent, metal clean. The street bore the wound.

According to the police report, a box truck was making a right turn at Brighton Beach Avenue and Brighton 7th Street when its right front bumper struck a 27-year-old woman crossing the intersection. The report notes 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The pedestrian suffered severe lacerations to her knee and lower leg, remaining conscious at the scene. The narrative describes blood on the pavement and the truck coming to a stop with no visible damage. The police report also states the pedestrian was 'crossing against the light,' but the primary cited cause remains driver inattention. The collision highlights the lethal consequences when large vehicles and vulnerable road users meet at busy Brooklyn intersections.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4780524, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Steel met flesh on Mason Avenue. A 64-year-old woman stepped into the street. An SUV turned left, failed to yield, struck her down. She died in the cold air, her body broken. Driver inattention and failure to yield sealed her fate.

A 64-year-old woman was killed near 242 Mason Avenue in Staten Island when a westbound SUV, making a left turn, struck her as she crossed the street. According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way and was inattentive or distracted at the time of the crash. The report states, 'Steel met flesh. She dropped, broken. The driver did not yield.' The impact occurred at the left front quarter panel of the SUV, causing fatal crush injuries to the pedestrian's entire body. The woman was not at an intersection and was crossing without a signal or crosswalk, as noted in the report, but the primary contributing factors remain 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The driver was licensed and operating a 2023 SUV. The collision underscores the lethal consequences of driver error on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4777953, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A Lexus hurtled down Neptune Avenue, speed unchecked. The driver, unbelted, was thrown from the car. Metal twisted, flesh broken. The street claimed him, the night held tight. Systemic danger, one man down.

A violent crash unfolded on Neptune Avenue near West 24th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a 2004 Lexus sedan was traveling west at an unsafe speed when the collision occurred. The 24-year-old male driver, the car's sole occupant, was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the primary contributing factor. The driver suffered severe crush injuries to his entire body and was found unconscious at the scene. The report details the vehicle's center front end as the point of impact and damage. No other vehicles or persons were involved. The data underscores the lethal consequences of excessive speed and lack of restraint, as documented by responding officers.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4768222, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A parked KIA sedan on Saint Pauls Avenue was struck head-on. Inside, a 58-year-old woman sat belted and unmoving. No skid marks, no warning. The crash left silence and death on Grant Street.

According to the police report, a parked KIA sedan was struck head-on near Saint Pauls Avenue and Grant Street in Staten Island. Inside the vehicle, a 58-year-old woman, who was wearing a lap belt, was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. The report notes, 'No skid marks, no second chance.' The point of impact was the center front end of the parked sedan. The contributing factors are listed as 'Unspecified' in the police report, and no driver errors are explicitly cited. The narrative emphasizes the suddenness and severity of the crash, with the vehicle at rest before being struck. No mention is made of any actions by the victim contributing to the collision. The focus remains on the impact and the fatal outcome for the woman inside the parked car.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4756590, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A sedan turned right on Neptune Avenue, its bumper striking a young woman crossing with the signal. She fell, crushed and unconscious, left sprawled on the street. The driver failed to yield. The intersection became a site of violence and pain.

According to the police report, a sedan making a right turn at Neptune Avenue and East 12th Street struck a 19-year-old woman who was crossing at the intersection with the pedestrian signal. The impact from the vehicle's right front bumper left her with crush injuries to her entire body and rendered her unconscious. The report explicitly cites 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as the contributing factor, underscoring the driver's responsibility in the collision. The victim's action—'Crossing With Signal'—is documented in the report, confirming she had the legal right to cross at that moment. No other contributing factors are listed for the pedestrian. The crash highlights the ongoing danger faced by people walking at intersections when drivers disregard traffic laws.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4739573, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

A 17-year-old rider on a westbound Honda motorcycle struck something hard on Belt Parkway. His helmet could not save him. The crash ended his life in the night, leaving only silence and broken metal behind.

According to the police report, a 17-year-old operating a 2007 Honda motorcycle westbound on Belt Parkway was killed after striking an unidentified hard object. The report notes the rider was wearing a helmet, but suffered fatal head injuries. The crash occurred at 21:55 and involved no other vehicles or persons. The police narrative states: 'A 17-year-old on a 2007 Honda hit something hard. His helmet held, but his head didn’t. The night took him. One rider. One crash. No second chance.' Contributing factors are listed as 'Unspecified' in the report, and the only vehicle involved was the motorcycle. The rider held a permit. The report does not cite any victim behavior as a contributing factor. The focus remains on the fatal impact and the systemic dangers faced by young riders on city highways.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4738842, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

New Yorkers packed the MTA Board meeting. They slammed the Governor’s pause on congestion pricing. The move guts $15 billion from transit upgrades. Projects for elevators and ramps stall. Disabled riders, seniors, and veterans lose out. Politicians split. Riders left stranded.

On June 24, 2024, the MTA Board heard public testimony and political debate on the fallout from Governor Hochul’s indefinite pause of congestion pricing, which was set to begin June 30. The meeting focused on the loss of funding for transit accessibility. The matter, described as 'New Yorkers decry loss of congestion pricing money for accessible transit to MTA Board,' drew sharp criticism from disability advocates and riders. State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, representing District 23, praised the Governor’s pause, calling congestion pricing 'the wrong plan for my constituents.' The pause leaves a $15 billion hole in the MTA’s capital budget, halting upgrades like elevators and ramps at dozens of stations. Advocates warned that without this funding, disabled New Yorkers, seniors, and veterans remain shut out of the subway. The MTA faces a federal mandate to make 95% of stations accessible by 2055, but these projects now stall. Riders demanded action. Politicians offered little hope.

• New Yorkers decry loss of congestion pricing money for accessible transit to MTA Board, amny.com, Published 2024-06-24

A motorcycle tore down Morningstar Road, colliding with a turning SUV. The rider, helmeted, was thrown and crushed. Five inside the SUV survived. Speed and failure to yield left one young man dead, silence settling over the street.

A violent crash unfolded on Morningstar Road near Dixon Avenue when a 25-year-old motorcyclist collided with a turning SUV, according to the police report. The report states the motorcyclist was traveling at an unsafe speed before slamming into the SUV, which was carrying five occupants. The impact ejected the motorcyclist from his bike, crushing his chest. He was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report. The narrative details that 'speed and failure to yield left silence in the street.' The police report explicitly lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor in the crash. No actions or behaviors by the SUV occupants are cited as contributing factors. The collision left the motorcyclist dead at the scene, while the five SUV occupants survived. The crash underscores the deadly consequences when speed and failure to yield intersect on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4733879, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-14

Senate Bill S 9718 passed. It pushes for complete street design. The aim: safer roads for everyone. Pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers stand to gain. The vote split. Some senators said no. But the bill moved forward. Streets may change.

Senate Bill S 9718, titled "Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles," advanced through the Senate with committee votes on May 28 and June 3, 2024. The bill, sponsored by Sean Ryan (District 61) and co-sponsored by Liz Krueger, Monica Martinez, Jack M. Martins, Anthony H. Palumbo, and Julia Salazar, passed both votes despite opposition. The measure calls for redesigning streets to protect all users, not just drivers. The vote was not unanimous—several senators voted no, but the majority carried it through. The bill’s focus is clear: safer streets for people on foot, on bikes, and in vehicles. No safety analyst note was provided, but the intent is to cut danger at the curb and crosswalk.

• File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-06-03