No More Bodies in the Road: Make Safety the Law, Not the Exception

A motorcycle hit a young woman head-on on Fulton Street. She bled from the skull. The rider did not stop. Sirens rose as she lay still. Both the pedestrian and the rider were injured. The street held the aftermath.

A 19-year-old woman was struck by a motorcycle while crossing Fulton Street near Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A 19-year-old woman stepped into the street against the light. A motorcycle hit her head-on. She bled from the skull. The rider did not stop.' The pedestrian suffered a severe head injury and was left bleeding on the asphalt. The 49-year-old motorcycle rider was ejected and suffered a shoulder contusion. No specific driver errors were listed in the report. The rider was wearing a helmet, as noted in the data. The crash left both the pedestrian and the rider injured, with emergency response arriving as the scene unfolded.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4539489, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Jeep door swung open on Fulton. A cyclist struck it. His leg split. Blood on the street. The driver did not look. The cyclist wore a helmet. The city’s danger showed its teeth.

A 27-year-old cyclist suffered severe leg lacerations after crashing into the door of a parked Jeep SUV on Fulton Street near Irving Place in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A Jeep door flung open. A 27-year-old cyclist crashed into it. His leg split wide.' The cyclist was conscious and wore a helmet. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The SUV driver failed to check for oncoming cyclists before opening the door. No injuries were reported for the SUV occupants. The crash highlights the risk posed by inattentive drivers and the unforgiving nature of city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4537960, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

An SUV tore down Grafton Street. It veered left, slammed into parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man behind the wheel was left semiconscious, legs shattered. Sirens came. The street went still. The crash left pain and silence.

On Grafton Street in Brooklyn, an SUV traveling at unsafe speed veered left and crashed into several parked cars. According to the police report, 'an SUV, too fast, veered left and slammed parked cars. Metal screamed. A 64-year-old man lay crushed behind the wheel, semiconscious, legs shattered.' The crash left the 64-year-old male driver with severe crush injuries to his legs. Other occupants in the vehicles suffered unspecified injuries. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor. No evidence in the data suggests any error or fault by the injured. The impact was sudden and violent, leaving the street in shock.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4536615, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Chevy sedan turned left on Park Avenue. Its bumper hit a man in the intersection. Blood ran from his head. He stood, dazed. The car kept moving. The driver failed to yield. The street stayed dangerous. The man was hurt.

A 37-year-old man was struck by a Chevy sedan while crossing Park Avenue at Nostrand Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan turned left and its bumper hit the pedestrian in the intersection. The man suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, standing upright but in shock. The report states, 'The driver did not yield.' The contributing factor listed is 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way.' No other contributing factors are mentioned. The driver and two passengers in the sedan were not reported as injured. The crash highlights the ongoing danger for pedestrians at city intersections when drivers fail to yield.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4535631, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Honda tore down the BQE. The driver had no license. Alcohol and speed ruled the car. Two young women, both passengers, suffered head and chest wounds. Blood marked the seats. The crash left pain and sirens in its wake.

A 2011 Honda sedan crashed eastbound on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. According to the police report, the unlicensed driver sped forward, reeking of alcohol. Three passengers rode with him. Two young women, both 22, were injured—one with severe head lacerations, the other with internal chest injuries. The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. The driver wore a harness but held no valid license. Both injured passengers were belted. The crash left the car's front end smashed and its occupants hurt. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4533976, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A sedan slammed into an e-scooter at Rockaway Avenue. The unlicensed scooter driver and his 19-year-old passenger were thrown. Her leg was crushed. She lay conscious on the street. Police cited traffic control disregarded. Metal, flesh, and asphalt met hard.

A sedan struck an e-scooter near 38 Rockaway Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the sedan hit the scooter as both vehicles went straight. The e-scooter carried two people: a 33-year-old unlicensed male driver and a 19-year-old female passenger. Both were ejected. The woman suffered severe crush injuries to her leg and remained conscious on the asphalt. The scooter driver had minor head bleeding. Police listed 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The report notes the scooter driver was unlicensed. No helmet was used by the passenger, as stated in the narrative, but this is mentioned only after driver errors. The crash underscores the danger faced by vulnerable road users when drivers ignore traffic controls.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4534064, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Vespa rider flew from his seat on Classon Avenue. An SUV hit him from behind. His helmet cracked. His head struck the pavement. He died there. The SUV driver was unlicensed. Drugs and disregard for signals fueled the crash. No mercy. No chance.

A deadly crash unfolded on Classon Avenue near Clifton Place in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a Vespa was struck from behind by a station wagon/SUV. The 33-year-old Vespa rider was ejected, his helmet cracked, and he died at the scene from head injuries. The SUV driver was unlicensed. The report lists 'Drugs (illegal)' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. The SUV did not remain at the scene. The Vespa rider wore a helmet, but the impact was fatal. No other injuries were reported. The crash highlights the lethal mix of drug use and ignoring traffic controls behind the wheel.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4533299, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

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 2019 Nissan sat parked on Powell Street. Its left front crushed. Inside, a 39-year-old man lay dead. No movement. No sound. Morning light caught broken glass. One life ended in silence.

A deadly crash took place near 211 Powell Street in Brooklyn. A 2019 Nissan sedan, parked at the curb, was found with its left front crushed. According to the police report, a 39-year-old man was inside the vehicle, unresponsive and not ejected. He showed no signs of life. No other injuries were reported. The report lists no contributing factors or driver errors. The cause of the crash remains unspecified in the data. No mention of helmet use or signals appears in the report. The incident ended with one fatality, the driver of the parked car.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4518552, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A woman crossed Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn before sunrise. A westbound car hit her head-on. Blood pooled on the street. She lay semiconscious, head wounded. The car’s right bumper bore the mark. No driver error listed. System failed her.

A 38-year-old woman was struck while crossing Atlantic Avenue near Gunther Place in Brooklyn before dawn. According to the police report, she was hit head-on by a westbound car. She suffered a head injury and severe bleeding, lying semiconscious in the street. The car’s right front bumper was damaged. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as failure to yield or distraction were recorded in the data. The woman was not at an intersection or crosswalk when struck. The report does not mention helmet use or signaling as factors. The crash highlights the ongoing dangers faced by pedestrians on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4515617, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Toyota sedan struck a 68-year-old man on Fulton Street. The car’s right front bumper smashed his head. Blood pooled on the street. The driver did not stop. The man stayed conscious. The sedan vanished into the night.

A 68-year-old man was crossing Fulton Street near No. 773 in Brooklyn when a Toyota sedan hit him with its right front bumper. According to the police report, 'A Toyota sedan struck a 68-year-old man crossing without a signal. The right front bumper hit his head. He bled heavily but stayed awake. The car kept going, straight into the dark.' The pedestrian suffered a head injury and severe bleeding but remained conscious. The sedan, traveling east, did not stop after the crash. The police report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. No other injuries were reported among the vehicle’s occupants.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4508528, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Steel met steel on Blake Avenue. A van and a box truck collided head-on. Two men, both drivers, left injured and in shock. One’s shoulder crushed, the other’s chest battered. The street fell silent. No answers, only pain and twisted metal.

A van and a box truck collided head-on near Blake Avenue and Strauss Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, both vehicles were going straight when they struck each other. The 51-year-old van driver suffered a shattered shoulder and crush injuries. The 38-year-old box truck driver sustained internal chest injuries. Both men were strapped in and left in shock. The report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The crash left both vehicles with heavy front-end damage. The police report offers no further details on the cause.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4492006, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15