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

A moped slammed into a Jeep on 4th Avenue. The young rider flew off and struck his head. He died in the street. The crash happened in darkness. Police cited traffic control disregarded.

A deadly crash unfolded at the corner of 4th Avenue and 52nd Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, a moped hit the side of a Jeep. The 21-year-old unlicensed moped rider was ejected, suffered a fatal head injury, and died at the scene. The report lists 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as a contributing factor. The Jeep driver was licensed and uninjured. The moped had no registered license, and the rider wore no helmet. The crash happened in darkness, with no other injuries reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4634351, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Toyota sedan struck a 46-year-old man near 465 State Street in Brooklyn. The street was dark. The man bled from his head, conscious but wounded. The car showed no damage. The night was quiet. Blood marked the asphalt.

A 46-year-old pedestrian was hit by a Toyota sedan near 465 State Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the crash happened in the dark. The man suffered a head injury and severe bleeding but stayed conscious. The sedan, traveling east, showed no visible damage. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The pedestrian was not at an intersection and was engaged in 'other actions in roadway.' No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the report. The street was still except for the aftermath of the crash.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4633777, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Council backs home rule for Sammy’s Law. The move lets New York City set speed limits below 25 mph. Lawmakers and advocates say lower speeds mean fewer deaths. The bill honors Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a reckless driver. The vote puts safety first.

Bill: Home rule message for Sammy’s Law. Status: Poised for passage by the City Council on May 24, 2023. Committee: State and Federal Legislation, chaired by Council Member Shaun Abreu. The measure, titled 'City Council Poised to Pass ‘Home Rule’ Message for Sammy’s Law on Thursday,' lets New York City lower speed limits below 25 mph. Council Member Jen Gutierrez announced the Council’s intent to pass it, calling it crucial for safety. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said, 'The city's ability to control the speed limits on its streets plays a crucial role in delivering traffic safety.' Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Mayor Eric Adams, and State Senator Andrew Gounardes all support the move. The bill honors Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a reckless driver. Data cited shows lower speed limits increase pedestrian survival. Advocates stress urgency to protect New Yorkers.

• City Council Poised to Pass ‘Home Rule’ Message for Sammy’s Law on Thursday, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-24

Two bikes crashed head-on at 61st and 4th. One turned left. One went straight. A 23-year-old man hit the pavement, blood streaming from his head. He stayed conscious. The street stood still. Failure to yield and ignored signals brought pain.

Two bicyclists collided head-on at the corner of 61st Street and 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. According to the police report, one cyclist was making a left turn while the other was going straight. The crash left a 23-year-old man with severe bleeding from the head, though he remained conscious. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Traffic Control Disregarded' as contributing factors. No helmet was worn by the injured cyclist, as noted after the driver errors. The collision underscores the dangers faced by vulnerable road users on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4629069, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A driver killed Katherine Harris on Atlantic Avenue. Politicians demand mid-block crossings, daylighted intersections, and curb extensions. They call the street a speedway. They blame city inaction. They vow to push for changes. The city promises only to study.

On May 1, 2023, after the death of Katherine Harris, Brooklyn Heights Council Member Lincoln Restler and State Senator Andrew Gounardes called for urgent safety fixes on Atlantic Avenue. At a rally, Restler said, "It is wrong how deadly this strip is." The officials demand mid-block crossings, daylighted intersections, raised crosswalks, curb extensions, and safer pedestrian space near BQE ramps. Borough President Antonio Reynoso criticized city resistance to reallocating street space, saying, "They drag their feet because they don’t want to do the inevitable." The Department of Transportation has agreed only to study new crosswalks. The bill is not yet formal legislation but marks a push for action after years of delay. No safety analyst assessment is available.

• In Wake of Death, Pols Want Mid-Block Crossings, Safer Atlantic Ave., Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-01

Sammy’s Law, which lets New York City set speed limits below 25 mph, failed to make the state budget. The Council now holds the power. Lawmakers stall. Streets stay deadly. Victims’ families and advocates demand action. Lives hang in the balance.

Sammy’s Law, named for 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, would let New York City lower speed limits below 25 mph. The bill failed to enter the 2023 state budget, shifting responsibility to the City Council. In 2021, the Council backed a home rule message 42-6, but the Assembly blocked it. Last year, the Council reversed course and failed to pass the message. This session, Council Member Jennifer Gutiérrez introduced a resolution urging passage, with 10 sponsors. Transportation Committee Chair Selvena Brooks-Powers must hold a hearing before a vote. Speaker Adrienne Adams and Brooks-Powers have not signed on, citing negotiations. The bill’s summary states: 'Life-saving legislation that would allow New York City to set speed limits below 25 miles per hour failed to make it into this year's state budget.' Data show slower speeds save lives. Advocates and victims’ families keep pushing. The Council’s inaction keeps streets dangerous.

• With ‘Sammy’s Law’ Not in the State Budget, It’s Up to the City Council to Push It, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-01

Flatbush Avenue. Dawn. A sedan and SUV slam head-on. Metal twists. A woman bleeds from her arm. A pickup takes the hit. Unsafe speed shreds calm. The city shrugs. Lives scar. The road stays ruthless.

A sedan and an SUV collided head-on near Flatbush Avenue and Livingston Street at dawn. According to the police report, 'Speed tore metal.' The crash left a 38-year-old woman, the sedan driver, with severe arm lacerations. A pickup truck was also struck in the crash. The only contributing factor listed in the data is 'Unsafe Speed.' No other driver errors are noted. The report states, 'The belt held her. The road did not.' The violence of speed left the woman injured and the vehicles mangled. The crash highlights the danger when drivers move too fast for city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4624746, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

An e-bike hit a woman in the head near 4th Avenue and 6th Street. She was not in the road. Blood ran from deep cuts. She stayed conscious. The e-bike kept going. The street stayed raw and loud.

A 38-year-old woman was struck in the head by an e-bike near 4th Avenue and 6th Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, she was not in the roadway at the time of the crash. The impact left her with severe lacerations, but she remained conscious. The e-bike showed no damage and continued south. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' as a contributing factor. The data also notes 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion,' but the woman was not in the road. The crash underscores the risk when drivers fail to yield, even off the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4624826, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A 26-year-old man on an e-bike struck a parked Mercedes SUV on 6th Avenue near 74th Street. He flew over the bars. His head hit pavement. Blood pooled. He was conscious, bleeding, alone. The crash left him with severe head wounds.

A 26-year-old man riding an ARROW e-bike slammed into a parked Mercedes SUV near 74th Street on 6th Avenue. According to the police report, 'He flew over the bars. No helmet. Head split open on the pavement. Blood pooled. He was conscious. He bled alone.' The cyclist suffered severe head lacerations and was ejected from his bike. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The report also notes the cyclist was not wearing a helmet, but this is mentioned only after the primary factor of inattention. No injuries were reported for the SUV occupant. The e-bike rider bore the full force of the crash, underscoring the risks faced by vulnerable road users.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4622304, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A Yamaha motorcycle smashed into a Chevy SUV making a U-turn on Poly Place. The 21-year-old rider, helmeted but unlicensed, was thrown and killed. Improper turning and lane use by drivers led to the fatal crash. The SUV driver survived.

A violent collision unfolded on Poly Place near the VA hospital. According to the police report, a Yamaha motorcycle struck the left rear quarter panel of a Chevy SUV as the SUV made a U-turn. The 21-year-old motorcycle rider, who wore a helmet but was unlicensed, was thrown from his bike and killed. The SUV driver, a 54-year-old man, survived. Police listed 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper' and 'Turning Improperly' as contributing factors. The report notes the rider's helmet use only after citing driver errors. The impact shattered the rider's body. No pedestrians or other bystanders were involved.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4620581, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Senator Gounardes’s bill would end car-first reviews. It targets a 15% cut in vehicle miles by 2050. The plan favors safer streets, less pollution, and more ways to get around. Advocates say it’s overdue. The old system kept streets dangerous.

State Bill S1234, introduced by Senator Andrew Gounardes on April 12, 2023, aims to overhaul New York’s environmental review process. The bill, now before the legislature, would replace the outdated 'level of service' metric—focused on driver delay—with a mandate to reduce total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 15 percent by 2050. The bill summary states: 'By eliminating the relevance of level of service as a metric and utilizing vehicle miles traveled reduction instead, we can provide a new criteria for determining the significance of transportation impacts.' Gounardes, the bill’s sponsor, argues this shift will cut emissions and promote safer, multimodal streets. Advocates like Jon Orcutt and Sara Lind back the measure, calling it a long-overdue update that could finally let safety and climate take priority over car traffic. The bill follows California’s lead and could set a national example.

• State Bill Seeks to Alter Environmental Review So it Doesn’t Only Care About Drivers, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-04-12

A sedan turned right on 82nd Street. A Yamaha motorcycle hit the car’s front. The 51-year-old rider flew off. Blood poured from his leg. He wore a helmet. He stayed conscious. He lay hurt on the street. Inexperience played a role.

A crash unfolded near 82nd Street and 4th Avenue. According to the police report, a sedan made a right turn as a Yamaha motorcycle traveled straight. The motorcycle slammed into the sedan’s front. The 51-year-old rider was ejected, suffering severe bleeding to his leg, but remained conscious. The report lists driver inexperience as a contributing factor. The rider wore a helmet, as noted in the data. No other injuries were specified for the sedan driver or passengers. The impact and injury show the danger when inexperience meets the city’s streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4616973, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Senator Gounardes wants a 25-cent fee on every online package. The money would fund city infrastructure. Trucks crowd streets. Packages pile up. The bill aims to slow the flood. City Hall will review. Delivery giants face new rules. Streets stay dangerous.

State Senator Andrew Gounardes introduced a bill on March 23, 2023, proposing a 25-cent surcharge on every online delivery package in New York City. The bill, now under review, aims to raise $226 million yearly for city infrastructure. Gounardes said, "We're proposing an infrastructure fund to help pay for some of the capital costs to mitigate some of the consequences of last-mile trucking, and freight growth." The bill responds to a surge in daily package deliveries, now at 2.3 million, and forecasts of 200,000 trucks a day by 2045. Gounardes, the bill's sponsor, wants the city—not the MTA—to control the funds. City Hall has not taken a position but said it welcomes ideas to limit emissions and advance infrastructure. The bill joins other efforts to regulate last-mile delivery and warehouse placement. No formal safety analysis for vulnerable road users was provided.

• State Senator Seeks Online Delivery Charge to Fund City Infrastructure, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-23

A woman turned left on her bike. A chassis cab hit her with its right front. She flew. Blood poured from her leg. She stayed awake. The truck rolled on, unmarked. Her knee did not.

A 40-year-old woman riding a bike was struck by a chassis cab on Navy Street near Nassau Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, the cyclist was making a left turn when the truck hit her with its right front quarter panel. She was ejected from her bike, suffering severe bleeding and injury to her knee and lower leg, but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as the contributing factor. The truck showed no damage. The cyclist was wearing a helmet, as noted in the report, but the crash was caused by driver inattention.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4611231, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Brooklyn power players met behind closed doors. They fought to keep the BQE wide and fast. Former party boss Frank Seddio led the charge. Some officials want fewer lanes for cleaner air and safer streets. City Hall claims neutrality. The debate rages on.

On March 4, 2023, a closed-door City Hall meeting gathered Brooklyn political figures to debate the future of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). The event, organized by Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, focused on whether to reduce the BQE from three lanes to two. Former Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Frank Seddio opposed the lane reduction, urging allies to resist the change. The meeting excluded some officials who support shrinking the highway, such as Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who cite environmental and community health concerns. Council Member Lincoln Restler criticized the city for favoring a three-lane solution and sidelining affected communities. City Hall denied taking a side, stating, 'the decision would be based on a DOT traffic study.' No formal council bill or vote was recorded, and no safety analyst assessed the impact on vulnerable road users.

• THE POWER BROKERS: Brooklyn Machine Fights Smaller BQE at Closed-Door City Hall Meeting, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-04

City Hall floats three-lane BQE. Electeds push back. Two lanes, they say, or fewer. Advocates want transit, not more highway. Officials call City Hall’s claims false. The fight is sharp. Vulnerable road users watch as cars and trucks rule the debate.

On March 3, 2023, City Hall reignited debate over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) lane count. Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi claimed some locals want three lanes each way, but 17 elected officials, including State Sen. Julia Salazar, Sen. Andrew Gounardes, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, and Council Member Lincoln Restler, publicly rejected the idea. Salazar said, 'no to three lanes. Two lanes at most.' Gounardes confirmed, 'all support a two-lane highway.' Gallagher wrote, '2 lanes if any.' Restler called City Hall’s statements 'plainly inaccurate.' The Department of Transportation delayed environmental review to study both options. Advocates and officials urge investment in mass transit, not highway expansion. Vulnerable road users remain at risk as the city weighs more lanes for cars and trucks.

• City Hall: We Hear that People Want to Keep Three-Lane BQE (Really?!), Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-03

Governor Hochul’s budget dodges state duty. City pays more, gets less. Riders face fare hikes, no better service. State hoards surplus, starves transit. Lawmakers protest. Suburbs dodge taxes. The city shoulders the load. Riders pay the price. Streets stay dangerous.

Governor Hochul’s 2023 state budget proposal, analyzed March 3, 2023, keeps New York State’s long-running refusal to match MTA funding under law 18-b. The budget, now under legislative review, forces New York City to cover a $500 million gap, while the state sits on an $8.7 billion surplus. The matter: 'Hochul's budget not only asks city residents to cover the largest chunk of the MTA's budget gap, but does so in part by continuing long-running practices that essentially under-fund the MTA by millions of dollars each year.' Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas and State Sen. Andrew Gounardes both object, demanding the state honor its legal obligations. Riders Alliance and Reinvent Albany condemn the austerity. With fare hikes looming and no service improvements, city transit riders—often pedestrians and cyclists—bear the brunt. The budget leaves vulnerable road users exposed, as transit stagnates and car dominance persists.

• Analysis: Hochul Turns Her Back on Transit Riders With Her MTA Budget, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-03-03

A father killed. Seven hurt. A U-Haul rampage tore through Bay Ridge. Neighbors gathered by candlelight. Officials called for safer streets and mental health care. The city mourned. The danger remains. Vision Zero is still just a promise.

On February 21, 2023, Bay Ridge held a vigil after a deadly U-Haul attack killed YiJie Ye, a delivery driver and father, and injured seven others. The event was not a council bill but a public response to traffic violence. State Senator Andrew Gounardes, mentioned in the event, spoke of the need for government action to make streets safer, saying, 'There’s work to do on every level of government to make the streets safer.' Mayor Eric Adams emphasized Vision Zero and the need for mental health resources, stating, 'Vision Zero [should be] an actualization as we make our streets safe.' Steve Mei, of the Chinese-American Planning Council, called for more city-funded mental health services, especially for seniors. The vigil underscored the community’s grief and the urgent need for systemic change to protect vulnerable road users. No formal safety analyst assessment was provided.

• ‘He came here because of his three children’: Bay Ridge community honors victim of U-Haul attack at candlelit vigil, brooklynpaper.com, Published 2023-02-21

A Lexus sedan hit a man walking with traffic near 621 Hicks Street. The car’s front end crumpled. The man lay bleeding from the head, silent under the streetlight. The street was cold. The impact was sudden. The danger was real.

A southbound Lexus sedan struck a 36-year-old man walking with traffic at the intersection near 621 Hicks Street in Brooklyn. According to the police report, 'A southbound Lexus struck a 36-year-old man walking with traffic. The sedan’s front crumpled. The man lay bleeding from the head, silent on the asphalt, under the streetlight’s cold glow.' The pedestrian suffered a head injury and severe bleeding. The data lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The crash highlights the risk pedestrians face at intersections, especially at night. No helmet or signal use is mentioned in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4607398, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A GMC pickup hit a 66-year-old man head-on near 73rd Street. His neck was crushed. He lay semiconscious on the cold Brooklyn pavement. Aggressive driving. No time to yield. One driver. One wounded pedestrian. Steel against flesh.

A 2022 GMC pickup truck struck a 66-year-old man near 3rd Avenue and 73rd Street in Brooklyn. The pedestrian suffered crush injuries to his neck and was left semiconscious on the pavement. According to the police report, 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' and 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' contributed to the crash. The truck's center front end hit the man. No other injuries were reported. The report highlights driver aggression and failure to yield as key factors in this violent collision.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4605835, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15