No One is Safe on Staten Island—Lanza Lets the Bodies Pile Up
SD 24: Jan 1, 2022 - Jun 4, 2025
The Death Count Grows
In Senate District 24, the numbers do not lie. Twenty-four people are dead. Thirty-six suffered serious injuries. Four thousand more carry wounds that do not heal. In the last twelve months alone, five families buried loved ones. Children, elders, workers—no one is spared.
A man crossing Hylan Boulevard never made it home. Chaosheng Wu was crossing Hylan Blvd. at Benton Ave. when the driver of a 2008 Ford Edge struck him about 9:25 a.m. on Friday, cops said. He died at the hospital. The driver stayed. No charges. The street stayed the same.
At an Amazon warehouse, a box truck reversed. A 40-year-old man, while operating a box truck, backed the vehicle up at the location but wound up striking a pedestrian, later identified as 34-year-old Leony Salcedo-Chevalier of Perth Amboy, NJ. The worker died. The driver stayed. The case is under review. The loading dock is still busy.
The Pattern: Cars and Trucks Kill, Policy Stalls
Cars and trucks do the killing. In this district, cars and SUVs took six lives, trucks and buses four. Bikes killed none. The pattern is clear. The danger is not hidden.
Leadership: Votes, Bills, and the Silence Between
Senator Andrew Lanza has not led the charge for safer streets. He voted no on a bill to require safer street design for all users—Enables safe access to public roads for all users by utilizing complete street design principles (S 9718). He sponsored a bill to let drivers escape speed camera tickets on technicalities—Permits a violation captured by a speed camera to be dismissed…if any information…is omitted from such notice of liability (S 7085). He wants to repeal congestion pricing, a measure proven to cut traffic and save lives.
When the city moved to slow Hylan Boulevard, Lanza did not stand with the families who walk it. When speed cameras came up for renewal, he called them a “cash register” and not a life-saving tool.
What Next: The Cost of Waiting
Every day of delay means another risk, another family changed forever.
Call Senator Lanza. Call your council member. Demand real action: safer street design, lower speed limits, and enforcement that protects people, not just drivers. Do not wait for another name to be added to the list.
Citations
▸ Citations
- Box Truck Backs Over Worker At Warehouse, amny, Published 2025-04-10
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4752930, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-04
- Elderly Pedestrian Killed Crossing Hylan Blvd, NY Daily News, Published 2025-03-10
- Box Truck Backs Over Worker At Warehouse, amny, Published 2025-04-10
- File S 9718, Open States, Published 2024-06-03
- File S 7085, Open States, Published 2025-04-01
- E-Scooter Kills Pedestrian On Staten Island, amny, Published 2025-05-19
- E-Scooter Kills Pedestrian On Staten Island, New York Post, Published 2025-05-18
- Elderly Pedestrian Killed on Hylan Boulevard, Gothamist, Published 2025-03-10
- City Will Rein in Speeding Staten Islanders with Hylan Boulevard ‘Road Diet’, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-06-16
- State Senate votes to approve 24-hour speed cameras in NYC, amny.com, Published 2022-06-01
- State Senate Overwhelmingly Supports 24/7 Speed Cameras for the City, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2022-06-01
- Hochul’s Congestion Pricing ‘Pause’ Will Cost Area Companies Billions, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2024-07-24
- Madness: Port Authority Will Spend $8.3M to ‘Study’ Widening Outerbridge Crossing, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-09-22
- File S 4705, Open States, Published 2025-02-11
▸ Other Geographies
SD 24 Senate District 24 sits in Staten Island, Precinct 121, District 51, AD 63.
It contains Westerleigh-Castleton Corners, New Dorp-Midland Beach, Todt Hill-Emerson Hill-Lighthouse Hill-Manor Heights, New Springville-Willowbrook-Bulls Head-Travis, Freshkills Park (North), Oakwood-Richmondtown, Great Kills-Eltingville, Arden Heights-Rossville, Annadale-Huguenot-Prince'S Bay-Woodrow, Tottenville-Charleston, Freshkills Park (South), Hoffman & Swinburne Islands, Miller Field, Great Kills Park, Staten Island CB3, Staten Island CB95, Staten Island CB2.
▸ See also
Traffic Safety Timeline for Senate District 24
Porsche Driver Ejected and Killed on Parkway▸A Porsche crashed hard on Korean War Vets Parkway. Steel twisted. The driver, 57, was thrown from the wreck. He died on the road. The car lay crushed. No other injuries reported. The cause remains unclear. The toll is final.
A deadly crash unfolded on Korean War Vets Parkway. According to the police report, a Porsche convertible slammed nose-first and was demolished. The 57-year-old driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene from crush injuries. The report lists no contributing factors for the crash. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants and vehicles were present but not reported injured. The police report does not specify any driver errors or external causes. The violence of the impact left the car destroyed and the driver dead, marking another fatal toll on New York City’s roads.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4530501,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Bus Turns Left, Kills Elderly Pedestrian▸A bus turned left on Platinum Avenue. The steel front hit a 69-year-old man crossing with the signal. His body broke beneath the bumper. He died there, alone in the dawn. No intersection. No chance.
A 69-year-old man was killed on Platinum Avenue when a northbound bus turned left and struck him. According to the police report, the man crossed with the signal, not at an intersection. The bus's steel front hit him, causing fatal injuries to his entire body. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The victim was following the signal. The crash happened outside an intersection, in the early morning. The police report does not mention any helmet or signal issues for the pedestrian. The bus sustained no damage. The man died at the scene.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4527470,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Slams Parked SUV on Walker Place▸A sedan crashed into a parked SUV on Walker Place. The driver, 47, suffered a bleeding head. Alcohol hung in the air. The street was quiet. Metal twisted. The SUV stood empty. The crash left one man hurt and the night broken.
A sedan struck a parked SUV on Walker Place, Staten Island. The driver, a 47-year-old man, suffered severe head lacerations but remained conscious. No other injuries were reported. According to the police report, 'Alcohol Involvement' was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV was unoccupied at the time of impact. The sedan’s right front bumper hit the SUV’s center back end. No helmet or signal use was listed as a factor. The report does not mention any actions by the parked vehicle or its owner. The crash left one person injured and highlighted the danger of impaired driving.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507263,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
KIA Turns Left, Crushes Pedestrian’s Back▸A KIA sedan turned left on Tysens Lane. The driver did not yield. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper struck her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The car’s inattention and failure to yield left her injured.
A KIA sedan, driven by a 26-year-old woman, turned left at Tysens Lane and Hylan Boulevard. The driver failed to yield and struck a 47-year-old woman who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, 'A KIA turned left. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper crushed her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The driver did not yield. The light was with her. The car was not.' The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to her back and remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly endangered the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500803,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A Porsche crashed hard on Korean War Vets Parkway. Steel twisted. The driver, 57, was thrown from the wreck. He died on the road. The car lay crushed. No other injuries reported. The cause remains unclear. The toll is final.
A deadly crash unfolded on Korean War Vets Parkway. According to the police report, a Porsche convertible slammed nose-first and was demolished. The 57-year-old driver was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene from crush injuries. The report lists no contributing factors for the crash. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. Other occupants and vehicles were present but not reported injured. The police report does not specify any driver errors or external causes. The violence of the impact left the car destroyed and the driver dead, marking another fatal toll on New York City’s roads.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4530501, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
Bus Turns Left, Kills Elderly Pedestrian▸A bus turned left on Platinum Avenue. The steel front hit a 69-year-old man crossing with the signal. His body broke beneath the bumper. He died there, alone in the dawn. No intersection. No chance.
A 69-year-old man was killed on Platinum Avenue when a northbound bus turned left and struck him. According to the police report, the man crossed with the signal, not at an intersection. The bus's steel front hit him, causing fatal injuries to his entire body. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The victim was following the signal. The crash happened outside an intersection, in the early morning. The police report does not mention any helmet or signal issues for the pedestrian. The bus sustained no damage. The man died at the scene.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4527470,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Slams Parked SUV on Walker Place▸A sedan crashed into a parked SUV on Walker Place. The driver, 47, suffered a bleeding head. Alcohol hung in the air. The street was quiet. Metal twisted. The SUV stood empty. The crash left one man hurt and the night broken.
A sedan struck a parked SUV on Walker Place, Staten Island. The driver, a 47-year-old man, suffered severe head lacerations but remained conscious. No other injuries were reported. According to the police report, 'Alcohol Involvement' was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV was unoccupied at the time of impact. The sedan’s right front bumper hit the SUV’s center back end. No helmet or signal use was listed as a factor. The report does not mention any actions by the parked vehicle or its owner. The crash left one person injured and highlighted the danger of impaired driving.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507263,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
KIA Turns Left, Crushes Pedestrian’s Back▸A KIA sedan turned left on Tysens Lane. The driver did not yield. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper struck her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The car’s inattention and failure to yield left her injured.
A KIA sedan, driven by a 26-year-old woman, turned left at Tysens Lane and Hylan Boulevard. The driver failed to yield and struck a 47-year-old woman who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, 'A KIA turned left. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper crushed her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The driver did not yield. The light was with her. The car was not.' The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to her back and remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly endangered the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500803,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A bus turned left on Platinum Avenue. The steel front hit a 69-year-old man crossing with the signal. His body broke beneath the bumper. He died there, alone in the dawn. No intersection. No chance.
A 69-year-old man was killed on Platinum Avenue when a northbound bus turned left and struck him. According to the police report, the man crossed with the signal, not at an intersection. The bus's steel front hit him, causing fatal injuries to his entire body. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The victim was following the signal. The crash happened outside an intersection, in the early morning. The police report does not mention any helmet or signal issues for the pedestrian. The bus sustained no damage. The man died at the scene.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4527470, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
Sedan Slams Parked SUV on Walker Place▸A sedan crashed into a parked SUV on Walker Place. The driver, 47, suffered a bleeding head. Alcohol hung in the air. The street was quiet. Metal twisted. The SUV stood empty. The crash left one man hurt and the night broken.
A sedan struck a parked SUV on Walker Place, Staten Island. The driver, a 47-year-old man, suffered severe head lacerations but remained conscious. No other injuries were reported. According to the police report, 'Alcohol Involvement' was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV was unoccupied at the time of impact. The sedan’s right front bumper hit the SUV’s center back end. No helmet or signal use was listed as a factor. The report does not mention any actions by the parked vehicle or its owner. The crash left one person injured and highlighted the danger of impaired driving.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507263,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
KIA Turns Left, Crushes Pedestrian’s Back▸A KIA sedan turned left on Tysens Lane. The driver did not yield. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper struck her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The car’s inattention and failure to yield left her injured.
A KIA sedan, driven by a 26-year-old woman, turned left at Tysens Lane and Hylan Boulevard. The driver failed to yield and struck a 47-year-old woman who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, 'A KIA turned left. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper crushed her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The driver did not yield. The light was with her. The car was not.' The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to her back and remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly endangered the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500803,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A sedan crashed into a parked SUV on Walker Place. The driver, 47, suffered a bleeding head. Alcohol hung in the air. The street was quiet. Metal twisted. The SUV stood empty. The crash left one man hurt and the night broken.
A sedan struck a parked SUV on Walker Place, Staten Island. The driver, a 47-year-old man, suffered severe head lacerations but remained conscious. No other injuries were reported. According to the police report, 'Alcohol Involvement' was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The SUV was unoccupied at the time of impact. The sedan’s right front bumper hit the SUV’s center back end. No helmet or signal use was listed as a factor. The report does not mention any actions by the parked vehicle or its owner. The crash left one person injured and highlighted the danger of impaired driving.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4507263, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15
KIA Turns Left, Crushes Pedestrian’s Back▸A KIA sedan turned left on Tysens Lane. The driver did not yield. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper struck her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The car’s inattention and failure to yield left her injured.
A KIA sedan, driven by a 26-year-old woman, turned left at Tysens Lane and Hylan Boulevard. The driver failed to yield and struck a 47-year-old woman who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, 'A KIA turned left. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper crushed her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The driver did not yield. The light was with her. The car was not.' The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to her back and remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly endangered the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
-
Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500803,
NYC Open Data,
Accessed 2025-06-15
A KIA sedan turned left on Tysens Lane. The driver did not yield. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper struck her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The car’s inattention and failure to yield left her injured.
A KIA sedan, driven by a 26-year-old woman, turned left at Tysens Lane and Hylan Boulevard. The driver failed to yield and struck a 47-year-old woman who was crossing with the signal. According to the police report, 'A KIA turned left. A woman crossed with the signal. The bumper crushed her back. She lay conscious on the pavement. The driver did not yield. The light was with her. The car was not.' The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to her back and remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as contributing factors. The driver’s actions directly endangered the pedestrian in the crosswalk.
- Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4500803, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15