Left for Dead on 174th: How Many More Must Die Before We Act?

Jun 1 - A car hit a man head-on at West Fordham Road and Loring Place North. His head split. Blood pooled by the curb. He tried to speak but could not. The driver was new. The night stayed silent.

A 41-year-old pedestrian was struck head-on by a vehicle at West Fordham Road and Loring Place North in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'The driver was new behind the wheel.' The man suffered severe head lacerations and was left incoherent at the scene. The only contributing factor listed is 'Driver Inexperience.' The impact was to the center front end of the vehicle. No other contributing factors, such as helmet or signal use, are noted in the data. The crash left the pedestrian gravely injured, with blood pooling by the curb.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4634415 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jun 1 - A sedan cut left on West 185th. Its front quarter struck a moped. The rider, thirty-six, flew off. Blood pooled by his torn leg. He lay still, in shock. The street went quiet. Danger lingered in the dark.

A sedan making a left turn on West 185th Street struck a moped rider traveling straight. The moped rider, age 36, was thrown from his vehicle and suffered severe lacerations to his leg. According to the police report, 'A moped rider, 36, struck mid-turn by a sedan’s front quarter. No helmet. Thrown halfway off. Blood pooled near his torn leg. He lay still, in shock, as the night closed in.' The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors for the moped rider. The sedan driver’s actions are also marked by 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion.' The moped rider wore no helmet, as noted in the data. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4638032 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 14 - A gas scooter smashed into a parked taxi on Fort Independence Street. Two riders thrown. Woman’s leg torn. Man’s head bleeding. No helmets. Unsafe speed listed. Blood on Bronx pavement. The night stood still.

A gas scooter crashed into a parked taxi on Fort Independence Street near Heath Avenue in the Bronx. According to the police report, a 30-year-old woman was ejected from the scooter, suffering a severe leg injury. A 36-year-old man on the scooter bled from the head. The report states, 'A gas scooter slammed into a parked taxi. A 30-year-old woman flew off, leg torn open. A 36-year-old man sat bleeding, head struck. No helmets. Blood pooled.' Police list 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Other Vehicular' as contributing factors. Both riders wore no helmets, as noted in the report. The taxi was parked at the time of impact. The crash left two people injured, blood on the street, and silence in the Bronx night.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4631532 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 13 - A 28-year-old man on a Varla e-scooter slammed into an SUV at West 231st and Broadway. He flew off, struck his head, and bled in the street. Aggressive driving fueled the crash. He was conscious, hurt, and left sprawled on the asphalt.

A 28-year-old unlicensed man riding a Varla e-scooter collided with an SUV at West 231st Street and Broadway in the Bronx. According to the police report, 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' contributed to the crash. The rider was ejected, struck his head, and suffered severe bleeding but remained conscious. The SUV showed no damage and had no listed occupants. The police report notes the e-scooter operator was unlicensed. No helmet use or signaling issues were cited as contributing factors. The crash underscores the danger when aggression and lack of licensing meet on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4628629 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 11 - Two cars slammed head-on. Metal screamed. A young man bled from the face, trapped in the front seat. Both drivers, women, hurt. Alcohol fueled the crash. The SUV rolled south. The sedan stopped. The night stayed cold and loud.

A head-on collision on the Major Deegan Expressway left three people injured. According to the police report, two vehicles—a sedan and an SUV—struck each other front-to-front at 2:50 a.m. A 22-year-old male passenger suffered severe bleeding from the face. Both drivers, women, were also hurt. The report lists 'Alcohol Involvement' as a contributing factor. The SUV continued south after the crash; the sedan did not. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. According to the police report, driver impairment led to this violent impact.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4627829 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

May 1 - Five cars slammed together on Henry Hudson Parkway. Steel twisted. Glass scattered. A 59-year-old man bled from the face, strapped in his seat. Unsafe speed and tailgating shattered the morning calm. Pain and chaos marked the road.

Five vehicles collided on Henry Hudson Parkway. According to the police report, 'Five cars crushed together, steel folding like paper. A man, 59, sat belted and bleeding, face torn, eyes open.' The crash left a 59-year-old male driver injured, suffering severe facial bleeding. The data lists 'Following Too Closely' and 'Unsafe Speed' as contributing factors. Each vehicle was traveling straight ahead before the impact. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report shows a chain-reaction pileup, with tailgating and speed as the primary causes. No other contributing factors were cited in the police report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4625297 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 20 - A Nova bus hit a 62-year-old man on an e-scooter at University Avenue and West Burnside. His head split open. Blood marked the street. The bus rolled on, untouched. The man lay broken. The city’s danger did not blink.

A Nova bus struck a 62-year-old man riding an e-scooter at the corner of University Avenue and West Burnside Avenue. According to the police report, the bus hit the man, leaving him semiconscious with severe head lacerations and blood on the pavement. The report lists 'Pedestrian/Bicyclist/Other Pedestrian Error/Confusion' as a contributing factor. No driver errors are cited in the data. The e-scooter rider was not wearing a helmet, which is noted in the narrative after the collision details. The bus continued on, unmarked. The crash left the vulnerable road user gravely injured, underscoring the risks faced by those outside steel and glass.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4622190 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 19 - A BMW tore down the Cross Bronx Expressway. It slammed into a slowing truck. Metal buckled. A young man in the passenger seat died from head wounds. The driver bled. The truck rolled on. Speed and steel left a body behind.

A violent crash struck the Cross Bronx Expressway. A BMW sedan hit the rear of a slowing tractor-trailer. According to the police report, 'A BMW crushed itself beneath a slowing truck’s rear. The sedan’s front folded. A 22-year-old man, belted in the passenger seat, died from head injuries.' The 19-year-old BMW driver, unlicensed, suffered minor head bleeding. The truck driver was not reported injured. Police list 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The BMW was demolished. The truck’s left rear bumper took the hit. One passenger died. Another bled. Both were inside the BMW.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4621753 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 16 - A sedan swung north on Bailey Avenue. An e-bike rolled south. They crashed head-on. The rider, 56, flew from his seat. His head struck pavement. Blood pooled. He lay still, unconscious, beneath the streetlight. Driver inattention marked the scene.

A sedan making a U-turn struck a southbound e-bike head-on at 3300 Bailey Avenue in the Bronx. The 56-year-old e-bike rider was ejected, hit his head, and was found unconscious with severe bleeding. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' contributed to the crash. The sedan driver and passenger were uninjured. The report notes the e-bike rider was not wearing a helmet, but the primary factor listed was driver inattention. The impact left the vulnerable rider alone and gravely hurt, while the sedan showed no damage.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4627155 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Apr 4 - A pick-up turned left. A motorcycle sped straight. Metal slammed metal. The rider flew, helmetless. His head struck pavement. Blood pooled. He lay conscious, bleeding, alone. The street bore the violence. He was 37.

A pick-up truck turned left on Audubon Avenue. A motorcycle came straight at unsafe speed. The two vehicles collided. According to the police report, 'A pick-up turned left. A motorcycle came fast, straight. They met hard. The rider flew, no helmet. Head split on pavement. Blood pooled. He was 37. He lay conscious, bleeding, alone on the street.' Unsafe speed was listed as a contributing factor. The 37-year-old motorcyclist was ejected and suffered a severe head injury, bleeding on the street. No helmet was worn, as noted in the report. No injuries were reported for the pick-up driver. The crash left the rider broken and bleeding on the asphalt.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4618187 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Mar 22 - A Nissan sped down West Fordham Road. A Tesla turned left. Metal tore. The Nissan’s nose hit the Tesla’s rear. A young man bled from the face. He stayed conscious. The street fell quiet. Unsafe speed left its mark.

A crash unfolded on West Fordham Road at 2:35 a.m. A Nissan sedan, traveling west at unsafe speed, collided with the rear quarter panel of a Tesla sedan making a left turn. According to the police report, 'A Nissan sped west. A Tesla turned left. Metal screamed. The Nissan's nose struck the Tesla’s rear.' A 24-year-old man, the Nissan’s driver, suffered severe facial bleeding but remained conscious. The police report lists 'Unsafe Speed' as a contributing factor. No other driver errors are noted. The injured man wore a lap belt and harness. The crash highlights the danger when speed overpowers control.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4614839 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Mar 17 - A 73-year-old man rode his e-bike north on West 165th. He lost consciousness. He fell. His head struck the pavement. He died alone. No other vehicles. No impact. The street stayed quiet. The man did not get up.

A 73-year-old man riding an e-bike on West 165th Street at Saint Nicholas Avenue lost consciousness and fell, striking his head. According to the police report, 'A 73-year-old man riding an e-bike lost consciousness mid-ride. No crash. No impact. He fell, struck his head, and died alone on the pavement in the afternoon light.' No other vehicles were involved. The only listed contributing factor is 'Lost Consciousness.' No driver errors or external hazards are cited. The report notes the rider was not using any safety equipment, but this is mentioned only after the primary cause. The man died where he fell. The street remained unchanged.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4614269 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Feb 13 - Council weighs bills to curb traffic violence. Advocates demand daylighting, civilian enforcement, and street redesigns. Open Plans calls for urgent action. Focus: less driving, more protection for walkers and cyclists. The hearing marks a push for safer, saner streets.

On February 14, 2023, the City Council Transportation Committee holds a hearing on Vision Zero. The agenda covers several bills: Intro 415 (dangerous driving study), Intro 555 (school safety signs), Intro 679 (traffic calming near seniors), Intro 805 (pedestrian safety reporting), Intro 854 (annual daylighting), Intro 879 (bollards at sidewalks), and Intro 441 (5 mph on Open Streets). Open Plans' Sara Lind supports daylighting, civilian and automated enforcement, and home rule for speed limit reductions, stating, 'Self-enforcing streets are best.' Jackson Chabot urges street redesigns and curb reform. Both demand immediate action to protect vulnerable road users. The hearing is the first Vision Zero session under the new mayor.

• From the Assignment Desk: Open Plans Helps Get You Ready for Tuesday’s Council ‘Vision Zero’ Hearing, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-02-13

Jan 28 - A Dodge SUV struck a 27-year-old man in the head on Henry Hudson Parkway. He died alone, far from any crosswalk. The impact came from the right front bumper. The road stayed empty. No other injuries. Darkness covered the scene.

A 27-year-old man died after a Dodge SUV hit him in the head with its right front bumper on Henry Hudson Parkway. According to the police report, the man was alone and not at an intersection when the crash happened. The pedestrian was killed at the scene. The SUV was driven by a licensed male driver from New York in a 2017 vehicle registered in New Jersey. The police report lists all contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as speeding, distraction, or failure to yield are noted in the data. There is no mention of helmet use or signaling. The crash resulted in one fatality and no other injuries.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4601163 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Jan 22 - Steel tore open at West 165th and Broadway. Taxi and BMW slammed head-on. A young man in the back seat bled through his clothes. Three passengers hurt. The street stayed dark. No driver errors listed. The city did not stop.

A taxi and a BMW collided head-on at the corner of West 165th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Three passengers were injured. According to the police report, 'A taxi and a BMW collided head-on. Steel crumpled. A 21-year-old man in the back seat, no belt, bled through his clothes. He stayed conscious. The dark stayed quiet.' The injured included a 21-year-old male passenger with severe bleeding. The police report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. No helmet or signal issues were noted.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4601666 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Dec 31 - A Dodge pickup struck a 62-year-old man on Broadway. The driver was distracted. The man’s chest was crushed. He died where he fell. The truck rolled on, undamaged. The street was dark. The crash ended a life in seconds.

A Dodge pickup truck hit and killed a 62-year-old man crossing Broadway at West 238th Street in the Bronx. According to the police report, the driver was distracted at the time of the crash. The pedestrian suffered fatal chest injuries and died at the scene. The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The truck, traveling north, showed no damage. The police report notes the pedestrian was crossing against the signal, but the primary error cited is driver distraction. No other injuries were reported.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4596739 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Dec 15 - A Toyota crashed into three parked cars on Adrian Avenue. The driver, seventy-five, bled from the head. He sat alone, conscious, surrounded by shattered glass and twisted metal. The street fell silent except for the echo of impact.

A 2002 Toyota sedan struck three parked vehicles on Adrian Avenue near West 225th Street in the Bronx. The seventy-five-year-old male driver suffered severe head lacerations and was found conscious and alone. According to the police report, 'A 2002 Toyota plowed into three parked cars. The driver, 75, sat bleeding from the head. Conscious. Alone. The front of his car crushed, the silence broken only by the sound of shattered glass.' No pedestrians or passengers were reported injured. The police report lists the contributing factor as 'Unspecified.' No driver errors such as speeding, distraction, or failure to yield are detailed in the data. No mention of helmet or signal use appears in the report.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4595363 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Dec 8 - A sedan turned left on West 161st. An e-scooter kept straight. The man on the scooter flew, helmet cracking on cold asphalt. Blood pooled. He died there, age forty-five. Aggressive driving marked the crash. The street stayed silent.

A sedan and an e-scooter collided at West 161st Street and Fort Washington Avenue in Manhattan. The sedan turned left while the e-scooter traveled straight. According to the police report, 'Aggressive Driving/Road Rage' contributed to the crash. The e-scooter rider, a 45-year-old man, was ejected and suffered fatal head injuries. He wore a helmet, which cracked on impact. Blood pooled on the street. The man died at the scene. The sedan’s front end struck the scooter. No injuries were reported for the sedan occupants. The police report lists aggressive driving as the primary factor. The helmet is mentioned only after the driver’s actions.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4595083 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Nov 29 - A diesel truck tore into stopped traffic on the Cross Bronx. Metal twisted. Fire raged. A 49-year-old woman, trapped and burned, died behind the wheel of her SUV. Two tractor-trailers and her vehicle lay shattered in the night.

A diesel tractor-trailer struck stopped traffic on the Cross Bronx Expressway, demolishing an SUV and two trucks. According to the police report, 'A diesel truck plowed into stopped traffic. A 49-year-old woman, burned and partially ejected, died behind the wheel of her SUV.' The woman was killed, suffering severe burns and partial ejection. Both trucks and the SUV were destroyed. The report lists no specific driver errors or contributing factors. The data shows the SUV was stopped in traffic when hit. No helmet or signal issues are mentioned. The crash left one dead and wreckage scattered across the expressway.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4585761 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19

Nov 21 - Taxi veered on Sedgwick Avenue. Driver lost consciousness. Six cars smashed. Metal twisted. Glass fell. One man bled, limp at the wheel. Sirens wailed. Bronx street turned silent, then chaos ruled.

A taxi driver lost consciousness on Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, causing a violent chain-reaction crash. According to the police report, 'A taxi veered. The driver, 29, lost consciousness. Six cars struck. Metal tore. One man lay bleeding, limp at the wheel.' The unconscious taxi driver suffered severe bleeding and injuries to his entire body. Other drivers and passengers were also hurt. The police report lists 'Lost Consciousness' as the contributing factor. The crash left glass and twisted metal across the street. No pedestrians were reported among the injured.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4589470 - Crashes, Persons, Vehicles , NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-09-19