Another Body, Another Excuse: Who Pays for Senate District 26’s Deadly Streets?

A westbound SUV hit a 55-year-old man crossing Hamilton Avenue. The right front bumper struck his head. Blood pooled on the street. The man stayed conscious. Police cited driver distraction. The street bore witness. The man survived, wounded.

A 55-year-old pedestrian suffered a head injury after being struck by a westbound SUV near 357 Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A westbound SUV struck a 55-year-old man crossing outside the intersection. He bled from the head. The right front bumper bore the wound. The man stayed conscious. The driver was distracted.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The impact left the man with severe bleeding but conscious at the scene. The data does not mention any helmet or signal use as a factor. The crash highlights the danger posed by driver distraction on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4657217, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A box truck and a moped moved south on 4th Avenue. The moped rider, 21, wore a helmet. He was ejected. His head was crushed. The truck showed no damage. The street showed the cost.

A box truck and a moped traveled south on 4th Avenue at 53rd Street in Brooklyn. The moped rider, age 21, was ejected and suffered a crushed head. According to the police report, 'A box truck and a moped moved south. The moped driver, 21, wore a helmet. He was ejected. Conscious. His head was crushed.' The data lists no specific driver errors, but the narrative shows the moped rider paid the price. The rider wore a helmet. The truck showed no damage, but the human toll was severe.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4657687, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A van slammed into the back of an SUV on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The van’s driver, 48, lost consciousness and died, still belted in. No skid marks. No swerve. Just impact, metal, and silence on a sunlit afternoon.

A van struck the rear of a Toyota SUV on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, westbound. The van’s driver, a 48-year-old man, lost consciousness and died at the scene. According to the police report, 'A van struck the back of a Toyota SUV. The van’s driver, 48, lost consciousness and died belted in. No skid marks. No swerve.' The listed contributing factor is 'Lost Consciousness.' No driver errors such as speeding or distraction are cited in the data. The driver was wearing a lap belt and harness. No other injuries were reported. The crash left the van’s front and the SUV’s rear damaged, marking another fatal toll on New York City’s roads.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4655820, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Two sedans slammed together before dawn at Atlantic and Court. Steel tore. An 18-year-old woman, belted in the front seat, died on impact. Sirens came too late. The city woke to loss and twisted metal.

Two sedans collided at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street in Brooklyn before sunrise. An 18-year-old woman, riding as a front-seat passenger, died at the scene. According to the police report, 'Unsafe Speed' was listed as a contributing factor in the crash. The impact left the woman motionless while emergency crews responded. Both drivers were licensed and traveling straight ahead. The victim wore a lap belt and harness, but the force of the collision was fatal. No other injuries were reported in the data. The crash underscores the deadly consequences when speed overtakes safety on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4655140, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A speeding driver ran a red light on Atlantic Avenue, killing an 18-year-old passenger and injuring three others. The crash happened outside Trader Joe’s in Cobble Hill. Council Member Lincoln Restler called for urgent safety fixes. Atlantic Avenue remains deadly. No changes yet.

On August 18, 2023, a speeding driver in a Mercedes ran a red light at Atlantic Avenue and Court Street, killing an 18-year-old woman and injuring three others. This stretch of Atlantic Avenue is notorious for deadly crashes. Council Member Lincoln Restler responded, stating, “Our community is unified in demanding immediate changes to dramatically slow down traffic, improve safety at intersections, and install new mid block crossings.” The incident marks the second fatal crash on this corridor in 2023. Despite calls from Restler and other local officials for mid-block crossings and traffic calming after previous deaths, the city has not acted. The bill or action is a public statement, not legislation, but it highlights urgent demands for redesign and enforcement to protect vulnerable road users. No safety improvements have been implemented yet.

• Speeding Driver Runs Red Light and Kills 18-Year-Old on Deadly Atlantic Avenue Speedway, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-08-18

A reckless driver ran a red light on Atlantic Avenue. He killed an 18-year-old passenger and injured four others. Council Member Lincoln Restler called the strip deadly. He demanded urgent safety fixes. Another life lost. The street remains a threat.

On August 18, 2023, Council Member Lincoln Restler (District 33) responded to a fatal crash at Atlantic Avenue and Court Street. An 18-year-old woman died after a driver sped through a red light and struck another car. Restler stated, 'This is one of the most dangerous strips in Brooklyn & we need safety improvements on Atlantic Ave NOW.' He called for immediate action: slower traffic, mid-block crossings, and better protections for all. State Sen. Andrew Gounardes echoed the demand for accountability and urgent fixes. No council bill is attached, but Restler’s public statement highlights the deadly pattern on Atlantic Avenue and the urgent need for systemic change to protect vulnerable road users.

• Cops cuff driver after Brooklyn crash kills 18-year-old woman: NYPD, amny.com, Published 2023-08-18

A sedan drifted south on 14th Avenue. It slammed into three parked cars. Metal tore. A 49-year-old woman inside the moving car died. The street fell silent. No one else was hurt. The crash left wreckage and grief.

A sedan traveling south on 14th Avenue in Brooklyn struck three parked vehicles. According to the police report, 'A southbound sedan veered into parked cars. Metal screamed. A 49-year-old woman inside did not survive.' The crash killed the woman, who was the only occupant of the moving vehicle. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The three parked vehicles were unoccupied. The impact left the parked cars damaged and the driver dead at the scene. The police report does not mention helmet or signal use as factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4652991, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

State Sen. Gounardes and Assembly Member Gallagher push a bill to force repeat speeders to install limiters. The tech would cap speed, targeting drivers with six or more tickets. Advocates say it could cut deaths. Reckless drivers face real consequences.

On August 2, 2023, State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher announced new legislation targeting recidivist reckless drivers. The bill, introduced in the New York State Legislature, would require drivers with at least six speeding tickets in a single year, or 11 points in 18 months, to install speed limiter devices in their vehicles. The matter summary states: "We are going to literally force you to slow down by requiring you to install a speed limiter on your car." Gounardes led the announcement at the Atlantic Avenue intersection where a driver killed Katherine Harris. Gallagher, co-sponsor, said, "Cars and trucks can act as weapons when used recklessly." The bill aims to bypass bureaucratic hurdles and act automatically, modeled after ignition interlock devices for drunk drivers. Advocates and city officials joined the call, citing data that speed limiters can reduce traffic deaths by 37 percent. The bill targets the most dangerous drivers, seeking to end impunity for repeat offenders.

• In-Car Tech Would Force NYC’s Worst Drivers to Slow Down Under New Proposal, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-08-02

Lawmakers push a bill to force speed-limiting devices on repeat reckless drivers. The measure targets those with a record of speeding and red-light violations. It aims to slow down the worst offenders and curb the rising toll of traffic deaths.

On August 1, 2023, lawmakers introduced a bill requiring speed-limiting devices for repeat reckless drivers. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, targets drivers with six or more automated speed or red light tickets, or eleven license points in 18 months. The measure would force these drivers to install devices that cap speed at five miles per hour above the limit. Gounardes said, 'There is a persistent cohort of drivers... driving on our streets recklessly without any consequences.' The bill was unveiled at the site of a fatal pedestrian crash in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. The Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program, which mandates safety courses for repeat offenders, has faced criticism for weak enforcement. This new bill seeks to close those gaps and directly slow down the most dangerous drivers on city streets.

• State lawmakers unveil bill to put speed limiting devices in reckless drivers’ cars, amny.com, Published 2023-08-01

New York stands firm on congestion pricing. New Jersey sues. Assemblymember Carroll calls the suit a stunt. Officials defend the plan’s review. The fight is sharp. Streets remain dangerous. Vulnerable road users wait for real change.

On July 21, 2023, Assemblymember Robert Carroll (District 44) responded to New Jersey’s lawsuit against New York’s congestion pricing plan. The matter, titled “New York Doubles Down on Congestion Pricing After New Jersey Sues,” saw Carroll label the suit a 'stunt' and accuse Governor Murphy of ignoring environmental and quality-of-life concerns. State Senator Andrew Gounardes called the lawsuit a cynical move to control New York’s roads. MTA officials, including John McCarthy, defended the environmental review, citing extensive outreach and public hearings. The bill’s status is an official response to legal challenge, not a council vote or committee action. No direct safety impact assessment for vulnerable road users was provided. The debate underscores the ongoing struggle to make streets safer for those outside cars.

• New York Doubles Down on Congestion Pricing After New Jersey Sues, streetsblog.org, Published 2023-07-21

New York leaders stand firm on congestion pricing. They dismiss New Jersey’s lawsuit as political theater. Officials say the environmental review was thorough. The MTA promises mitigation for affected communities. The fight centers on who controls city streets and who pays the price.

On July 21, 2023, New York officials responded to a lawsuit from New Jersey over congestion pricing. The matter, titled 'New York Doubles Down on Congestion Pricing After New Jersey Sues,' saw Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Andrew Gounardes, and Assemblymember Robert Carroll defend the plan. Gounardes called the suit 'a cynical attempt' by New Jersey to interfere. Carroll labeled it 'a stunt.' MTA spokesperson John McCarthy said the environmental assessment 'covered every conceivable potential traffic, air quality, social and economic effect.' The MTA also pledged mitigation for environmental justice communities. The bill’s status is active, with strong support from New York’s leadership and ongoing opposition from New Jersey.

• New York Doubles Down on Congestion Pricing After New Jersey Sues, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-07-21

A box truck, speeding, rammed a slowing tractor-trailer on the Gowanus Expressway. Steel twisted. The box truck driver, 34, bled from the face but stayed conscious. The crash left shattered glass and a trail of blood on the highway.

A violent crash unfolded on the Gowanus Expressway when a box truck, traveling at unsafe speed, struck the rear of a slowing tractor-trailer. According to the police report, 'A box truck, too fast, crushed into a slowing tractor-trailer. Steel folded. The driver, 34, wore his belt. Blood ran down his face. He stayed awake, staring through shattered glass at the wreck he made.' The driver of the box truck suffered severe facial lacerations but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as the contributing factor in the crash. The tractor-trailer was slowing or stopping when it was hit. The only injury reported was to the box truck driver, who was wearing a lap belt and harness.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4647798, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

An e-bike tore through Shore Road. The rider struck a woman, ripping her leg. A teenage girl on the bike hit her head. Blood pooled. The driver did not see. The street fell silent. Two injured. Distraction and failure to yield led to pain.

A 34-year-old woman walking on Shore Road near 83rd Street in Brooklyn was struck by an e-bike. She suffered severe lacerations to her leg. A 17-year-old girl riding on the e-bike also sustained a serious head injury. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' were listed as contributing factors. The e-bike, traveling north, hit the pedestrian with its left front bumper. The report notes blood on the pavement and a silent street after the crash. No helmet or signal use was cited as a factor. The crash left two people hurt, both victims of driver error.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4646986, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Brooklyn officials demand equal tolls on all Manhattan crossings. They warn free bridges funnel traffic into certain neighborhoods. Their letter calls for fairness. The MTA stays silent. The Traffic Mobility Review Board will decide. Streets hang in the balance.

On July 18, 2023, Council Member Shahana Hanif and other Brooklyn officials called for 'equalized tolling on all crossings into Manhattan' as congestion pricing nears. Their letter to the Traffic Mobility Review Board states: 'No one community should disproportionately bear the burden of the cars and trucks passing through their neighborhood.' Hanif, along with Lincoln Restler, Alexa Avilés, Jennifer Gutiérrez, and Crystal Hudson, joined borough, state, and federal colleagues in this push. They propose a credit system to balance costs between DOT bridges and MTA tunnels, aiming to protect neighborhoods like the Brooklyn waterfront and the BQE corridor from traffic surges. The MTA declined comment. The Board will soon set final toll rates and rules. The federal government has approved the congestion pricing plan, with tolls for cars expected between $9 and $23. Over 100 exemption requests, including from taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers, are under review.

• Pols call for ‘equalized tolling’ on all crossings into Manhattan under congestion pricing on eve of board deliberations, amny.com, Published 2023-07-18

City’s BQE plan adds new highway ramps, pushing more traffic onto Hicks Street. Politicians and experts slam the move. They say it copies old mistakes, ignores safety, and brings pollution closer to homes. Bike lanes appear, but real safety gains remain unclear.

On July 7, 2023, the Department of Transportation unveiled redesign concepts for the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway’s Atlantic Avenue interchange. The plans, discussed in committee, propose new highway off-ramps on Hicks Street. The matter summary states: 'DOT proposals rely on outdated approaches by building new highway ramps instead of eliminating them.' Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon criticized the plan for increasing traffic and pollution near homes, urging a new approach: 'They need to go back to the drawing board.' State Sen. Andrew Gounardes called out the reliance on old infrastructure, saying, 'The proposals should not be doubling down on the infrastructure and transportation of the past.' Former DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman said, 'They don't improve safety, they don't improve traffic, and they certainly don't improve any of the surrounding communities.' All concepts include a buffered or protected bike lane on Atlantic Avenue, but the impact on vulnerable road users remains uncertain.

• DOT Plan for BQE’s Atlantic Ave. Interchange is ‘The Robert Moses Playbook’: Pols and Experts, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-07-07

Two bikes slammed head-on on Tillary Street. Steel met steel. An 18-year-old boy fell, face torn, blood pooling on the dark pavement. No helmets. The street stayed silent. Driver inexperience marked the night. Flesh broke. The city watched.

Two bicyclists collided head-on on Tillary Street. An 18-year-old male rider was left unconscious, suffering severe bleeding and facial injuries. According to the police report, 'Two bikes collided head-on in the dark. No helmets. No warning. An 18-year-old boy lay unconscious, his face torn, bleeding on the pavement.' The report lists 'Driver Inexperience' as a contributing factor. No other vehicles were involved. Both bikes were traveling straight, one east and one west. The data notes that neither rider wore a helmet, but this is only mentioned after the primary cause: driver inexperience. The crash left the street quiet, marked by blood and broken flesh.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4641690, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

SUVs kill. Their bulk crushes bodies and streets. Lawmakers want heavier vehicles to pay more. Revenue would fund safer roads. The bill follows a grim rise in deaths, especially among children. The city bleeds. The council moves. The fight is on.

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced a bill to increase registration fees for heavy vehicles and SUVs in New York. The proposal, announced June 23, 2023, aims to direct new revenue toward street safety projects. The report behind the bill states: 'Injuries from crashes involving large vehicles increased by 91 percent and fatalities by 75 percent between 2016 and 2019.' Mamdani said, 'This is an initiative to make our streets safer for our children.' Gounardes called out the public cost of 'mini-tanks.' The bill responds to data showing nearly half of children killed on city streets were struck by drivers of large vehicles, rising to 80 percent in 2022. Lawmakers call this common-sense action to address the deadly toll of oversized cars.

• Report Provides More Reasons to Rein in Supersized SUVs (As If You Needed More), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-23

Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani pushes a bill to raise registration fees for heavy vehicles. The move comes as injuries and deaths from SUVs surge. Lawmakers say the fees will fund safer streets. The city’s children pay the price for oversized cars.

Assembly Bill (no number cited) was introduced by Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani and Senator Andrew Gounardes on June 23, 2023. The bill, now under consideration, would 'raise the existing by-weight registration fees to make them more likely to disincentivize the purchase of larger cars.' The proposal responds to a Transportation Alternatives report showing a 91% jump in injuries and a 75% rise in fatalities from large vehicle crashes between 2016 and 2019. Mamdani, at a press conference, said, 'This is an initiative to make our streets safer for our children.' Gounardes added, 'We the public has had to bear the cost of people's decisions to drive these mini-tanks.' The bill earmarks new revenue for street safety projects, aiming to protect vulnerable road users from the growing threat of oversized vehicles.

• Report Provides More Reasons to Rein in Supersized SUVs (As If You Needed More), streetsblog.org, Published 2023-06-23

An SUV turned left on 25th Street. Two teens on an e-bike struck its rear. One bled from the head, the other from the face. Both were conscious. Blood pooled on Brooklyn pavement. Failure to yield and unsafe speed marked the crash.

Two teenage boys riding an e-bike were injured when they struck the rear of an SUV making a left turn on 25th Street near 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'An SUV turned left. An e-bike with two teen boys struck its rear. One bled from the head. The other, from the face. Both conscious. Both hurt. Blood pooled on the hot Brooklyn pavement.' The report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. Both teens suffered severe bleeding, one to the head and one to the face. The data also notes 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a factor. The SUV was damaged on the right rear quarter panel, while the e-bike was damaged at the front. No mention of helmet use or signaling as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4638253, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Sammy’s Law would let New York City drop speed limits to 20 mph on deadly streets. Council Member Gutierrez led the charge. Brooks-Powers joined. Streets scarred by crashes and deaths. Lower speeds mean fewer bodies broken. The city waits. Lives hang in the balance.

Sammy’s Law, debated by the NYC Council and State Legislature, seeks home rule for New York City to lower speed limits from 25 to 20 mph on dangerous streets. Council Member Jen Gutierrez carried the resolution; Selvena Brooks-Powers later signed on. The bill targets corridors like Bushwick Avenue, Laurelton Parkway, and East Gun Hill Road—sites of hundreds of crashes and dozens killed or maimed since 2019. The matter summary states: 'Because people are dying and being maimed on New York's most-dangerous 25-mile-per-hour streets.' Supporters, including State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, cite the science: lower speeds mean less force, fewer deaths. Research shows 20 mph zones cut crashes by 60 percent. The bill does not mandate, but allows, lower limits where carnage is highest. The council’s action centers the lives of pedestrians and cyclists, demanding the city act before more are lost.

• MAP QUEST: See Exactly Why Sammy’s Law Would Be So Crucial for the Boroughs, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-08