No One Should Die Crossing the Street—Hold Their Killers Accountable

A cyclist lies in critical condition after a crash at Fifth Avenue and Union Street. Councilmember Shahana Hanif calls out the city’s inaction. The intersection has claimed lives before. The community rallies, but danger remains. Cyclists keep dying. The city stalls.

On September 26, 2023, Councilmember Shahana Hanif (District 39) issued a statement following a severe crash at Fifth Avenue and Union Street in Park Slope. The incident left Jacob Priley, a cyclist and advocate, critically injured. Hanif highlighted the intersection’s deadly history, referencing the 2021 death of Arcellie Muschamp. She pressed the Department of Transportation for urgent safety upgrades, saying, 'How many more crashes until the DOT pays attention?' Hanif noted the recent completion of a protected bike lane on Ninth Street but stressed that more action is needed. She thanked neighbors for their support and vowed to work with the DOT. So far in 2023, 3,702 cyclists have been injured and 22 killed on New York City streets. The city’s pace on safety remains too slow for those at risk.

• Brooklyn rallies behind biker critically injured in Park Slope crash, raises funds for medical bills, amny.com, Published 2023-09-26

Council calls for harsher punishment when e-scooter riders flee crash scenes. The resolution urges Albany to act. It also pushes to include e-bikes. Lawmakers say stiffer penalties could keep more drivers at the scene. Vulnerable road users stand to gain.

Resolution 0750-2023 was filed by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on September 14, 2023, and closed at session's end on December 31, 2023. The measure urges the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.1679/S.561, which would 'increase the penalty for leaving the scene of an accident involving an e-scooter and further calls upon the New York State Legislature to include e-bikes in such legislation.' Council Members Farah N. Louis (primary sponsor), Gale A. Brewer, Shaun Abreu, Lynn C. Schulman, and Amanda Farías backed the resolution. The bill would raise penalties for e-scooter hit-and-runs from a violation to a misdemeanor or felony, and seeks to add e-bikes to the law. The council argues this could keep more crash-involved riders at the scene, helping protect pedestrians and cyclists.

• File Res 0750-2023, NYC Council – Legistar, Published 2023-09-14

A Nissan sedan hit a man on West 42nd Street. The bumper smashed his head. Blood spilled on the street. He stayed awake, hurt and bleeding. The car rolled east. The driver was distracted. The city failed to protect him.

A 29-year-old man was struck by a Nissan sedan while crossing West 42nd Street just before 1 a.m. According to the police report, 'A distracted driver in a Nissan sedan struck a 29-year-old man crossing against the light. The bumper hit his head. Blood pooled. He stayed conscious. Hurt bad. The car kept moving east.' The report lists 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as a contributing factor. The pedestrian suffered a head injury with severe bleeding but remained conscious at the scene. The crash underscores the danger posed by driver distraction. No helmet or signal use was cited as a factor.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4663034, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Delivery workers ride mopeds on dangerous streets. Tech giants profit. City infrastructure lags. Cars and trucks kill most. Enforcement is scattershot. Officials call for safe lanes, charging stations, and real accountability. The crisis demands a fix beyond punishing workers.

This policy debate, published August 23, 2023, analyzes New York City’s 'moped crisis.' The article, reviewed by Streetsblog NYC, highlights systemic failures: unsafe streets, lack of charging infrastructure, and tech companies shifting risk onto underpaid delivery workers. Council Member Alexa Aviles urges rapid expansion of e-bike charging stations and blames corporate greed. State Senators Jessica Ramos and Brad Hoylman-Sigal call for industry accountability and a standardized, safe delivery vehicle. The matter summary states, 'The city needs a systemic fix, justice for workers and accountability by tech giants.' Advocacy groups reject punitive crackdowns on workers, pushing instead for expanded bike lanes and public infrastructure. The piece concludes that only a multi-pronged, structural approach—never just enforcement—will protect vulnerable road users and delivery workers alike.

• The Moped Crisis — An Analysis: The City Needs a Systemic Fix, Justice for Workers and Accountability by Tech Giants, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-08-23

A man on a Bravo motorcycle crashed northbound on 8th Avenue before dawn. He flew headfirst, helmeted, into the dark. The front end crushed. He lay bleeding, unconscious, ejected from the wreck. One rider. One silence.

A 36-year-old man riding a 2016 Bravo motorcycle was severely injured in a crash on 8th Avenue near 47th Street in Manhattan at 4:06 a.m. According to the police report, the rider was ejected, suffered a head injury, and was found unconscious and bleeding. The report states, 'A man on a 2016 Bravo motorcycle flew headfirst into the dark. Helmeted, bleeding, unconscious. The front crushed, the rear torn.' The motorcycle was traveling northbound when the crash occurred. The police report lists the contributing factors as 'Unspecified.' The rider was wearing a helmet, as noted in the data.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4653274, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A moped sped east through Central Park at dawn. The driver lost control. He flew from the seat. His hip shattered. Flesh tore. He screamed in pain. The trees stood silent. No helmet. No brakes. No answer.

A 30-year-old moped driver was ejected and severely injured on Central Park’s Transverse Road Two. According to the police report, the moped was traveling at unsafe speed, with no helmet and no brakes. The driver suffered a shattered hip and severe lacerations. The report states, 'A moped tore east at dawn. No helmet. No brakes. The driver, 30, flew from the seat, hip shattered, flesh torn.' Unsafe speed is listed as the contributing factor. The data notes the absence of a helmet only after the primary driver error. No other vehicles or people were involved. The crash left the driver conscious but in agony, alone in the early morning park.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4653002, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A box truck crashed into a taxi near 34th Street. Metal shrieked. The taxi driver’s arm split open. Blood ran in the quiet dark. Police cited following too closely. One man hurt. The city’s night stayed cold and still.

A box truck struck a taxi on 8th Avenue near 34th Street in Manhattan. The 61-year-old taxi driver suffered severe arm lacerations. According to the police report, the box truck 'slammed the slowing taxi’s side.' The report lists 'Following Too Closely' as a contributing factor. The taxi was slowing or stopping when the box truck, traveling west, hit its left side doors with its right front bumper. The taxi driver was the only person injured. No pedestrians or cyclists were involved. The report notes the taxi driver wore a lap belt. The crash underscores the risk when drivers follow too closely.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4649837, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A woman crossed West 42nd Street with the signal. A driver did not yield. Metal struck flesh. Her hip broke. Blood streaked her leg. She stayed awake on the pavement. The light kept blinking. The city moved on.

A 37-year-old woman was struck while crossing West 42nd Street with the signal. According to the police report, the driver failed to yield the right-of-way and made an improper lane usage or passing maneuver. The impact broke her hip and left her with severe lacerations. She remained conscious at the scene. The report states: 'She crossed with the signal. A driver did not yield. Her hip broke. Blood streaked her leg.' The listed contributing factors are 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Passing or Lane Usage Improper.' No information about the vehicle or driver was provided. The pedestrian was in the crosswalk, following the signal, when the crash occurred.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648974, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A motorscooter slammed into a sedan at West 55th and 10th. Two riders flew off, struck hard, and lay broken in the street. Blood pooled. The city’s lights blinked on. No helmets. No mercy. The night swallowed the sound.

Two people riding a motorscooter were ejected after a violent crash with a sedan at the corner of West 55th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. According to the police report, the motorscooter hit the sedan at 3:02 a.m. Both riders, a 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, suffered severe crush injuries and were found unconscious or semiconscious, sprawled on the pavement. The report notes neither wore helmets. The sedan’s left front bumper and the motorscooter’s right side took the impact. No specific driver errors were listed in the data; contributing factors are marked as "Unspecified." The city moved on as the injured lay in the street.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4647628, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A car tore down West 42nd. A woman crossed. The driver did not slow. Metal struck flesh. Her leg split open. Blood stained the street. The driver vanished into the night. The city kept moving.

A 27-year-old woman was struck while crossing West 42nd Street near Times Square. She suffered severe lacerations to her lower leg and remained conscious at the scene. According to the police report, the driver was traveling at an unsafe speed and was inexperienced. The driver did not stop after the crash. The report lists 'Unsafe Speed' and 'Driver Inexperience' as contributing factors. The woman was crossing without a signal, but the data highlights driver actions as the primary causes. No information is provided about the vehicle or the driver’s identity.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4647718, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A young pedicab driver met an e-bike head-on on West 36th Street. Her abdomen crushed. She stayed conscious but did not survive. Inexperience and distraction shaped the crash. The city’s streets claimed another vulnerable life.

A 23-year-old pedicab driver was killed in a head-on collision with an e-bike near West 36th Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. According to the police report, the crash involved 'Driver Inexperience' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction.' The victim suffered fatal abdominal injuries but remained conscious at the scene. The report notes she was not wearing a helmet, but only after listing driver inexperience and distraction as contributing factors. The crash highlights the dangers faced by vulnerable road users in New York City’s dense traffic. No blame is placed on the victim. The police report documents the fatal toll of inexperience and inattention on city streets.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4648249, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

A man crossed Columbus Avenue. A moped hit him head-on. His leg split. Blood pooled on the street. The rider did not stop. The man stayed awake, pain sharp and real. The moped vanished south, leaving injury behind.

A 33-year-old man was crossing Columbus Avenue near West 70th Street in Manhattan when a southbound moped struck him head-on. According to the police report, 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' was a contributing factor. The pedestrian suffered a severe leg injury and remained conscious at the scene. The moped did not stop and continued south. The report notes the pedestrian was not in a crosswalk or at a signal, but lists driver inattention as a primary cause. The crash left the man bleeding on the asphalt while the moped rider fled, unmarked and unaccounted for.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4645202, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Paris rips out parking. Sidewalks widen. Intersections clear. Mayor Anne Hidalgo puts pedestrians first. No crackdown on e-bikes. Cars, not cyclists, face the squeeze. Advocates say New York should follow. Fewer cars, more space for people. The numbers demand it.

On June 30, 2023, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced a sweeping policy shift: the new 'Street Code.' The plan, described as giving 'absolute priority for pedestrians,' will remove 70,000 parking spaces by 2026, daylight all intersections, widen sidewalks, and expand bike lanes. Hidalgo rejects harsh measures against e-bikes, focusing instead on reducing car dominance and discouraging SUVs through progressive parking fees. Council Member Gale A. Brewer, District 6, is mentioned in the context of New York’s contrasting approach, where enforcement often targets e-bikes rather than cars. Advocates highlight that cars and trucks cause most pedestrian injuries and deaths. They urge New York to emulate Paris—reclaiming street space from cars, not blaming micromobility. The data is clear: fewer cars mean safer streets for all.

• Paris Mayor Enters Fray Between E-Bikes and Pedestrians — By Fighting Drivers, streetsblog.org, Published 2023-06-30

Albany keeps the keys. The Assembly refused to vote on Sammy’s Law. The city stays locked out of lowering its own speed limits. Advocates rage. Another year, another failure. Streets remain fast. Vulnerable New Yorkers stay exposed.

Sammy’s Law, blocked again. The bill—named for Sammy Cohen Eckstein, killed by a van at age 12—would let New York City set its own speed limits, dropping the default to 20 mph and some streets to 10 mph. The Senate passed it 55-7, but the Assembly ended its June 22, 2023 session without a vote. Assembly sponsor Linda Rosenthal said, 'We just can't be deterred.' Senate sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal called the failure 'heartbreaking.' Speaker Carl Heastie refused to bring it to the floor. Advocates say the city’s hands are tied while deaths and injuries mount. The Council and Mayor Adams support the bill. For the third year, Albany blocks local control. Streets stay dangerous. Vulnerable road users pay the price.

• Sammy’s Law advocates angry after push to give NYC power over its speed limit fails in Assembly, nydailynews.com, Published 2023-06-22

Sammy’s Law hit a wall in Albany. The bill would let New York City set its own speed limits. It passed the Senate but died in the Assembly. Advocates and families mourn another delay. Streets stay fast. Vulnerable lives remain at risk.

Sammy’s Law, a bill to let New York City set and lower its speed limits, stalled in the Assembly on June 19, 2023. The bill passed the state Senate but did not reach a vote in the Assembly, blocked by Speaker Carl Heastie and opposition from outerborough members. The City Council, including Councilwoman Jennifer Gutiérrez, supported the measure with a home rule message. The bill’s summary: 'allow New York City to set speed limits as low as 10 mph on some streets and 20 mph citywide.' Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal sponsored the bill in the Assembly. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams both backed it. State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal called it 'common sense.' Advocates, including Amy Cohen, mother of the bill’s namesake, vow to keep fighting. No safety analyst note was provided, but the bill’s failure leaves city streets unchanged and vulnerable road users exposed.

• Sammy’s Law bill to let NYC set speed limit falters, supporters hoping special Assembly session will finally push it through, nydailynews.com, Published 2023-06-19

An unlicensed man turned left in a Ford SUV. He struck an 86-year-old woman crossing 8th Avenue with the signal. She fell. Her head hit the street. She died where she landed. The driver failed to yield. The street stayed silent.

An 86-year-old woman was killed at the corner of 8th Avenue and West 25th Street in Manhattan. According to the police report, an unlicensed man driving a Ford SUV turned left and struck the woman as she crossed with the signal. The impact knocked her down. Her head hit the pavement. She died at the scene. The police report lists 'Failure to Yield Right-of-Way' and 'Driver Inattention/Distraction' as contributing factors. The driver was unlicensed at the time of the crash. The woman was crossing legally at the intersection. No mention of helmet or signaling as contributing factors.

• Motor Vehicle Collisions – CrashID 4636298, NYC Open Data, Accessed 2025-06-15

Two mothers starve for justice. Their children killed by reckless drivers. They demand lawmakers let New York City set its own speed limits. The Assembly stalls. Grief and anger fill the halls. No more excuses. They want action. Now.

On June 6, 2023, two mothers began a hunger strike at the State Capitol, demanding action on Sammy’s Law. The bill, first introduced in 2020 by State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and carried in the Assembly by Linda Rosenthal, would let New York City set speed limits below 25 mph. The City Council backed the measure with a 'home rule' message last month. But Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has not brought it to a vote. The matter title: 'Sammy’s Law.' Amy Cohen, whose son Sammy was killed in 2013, and Fabiola Mendieta-Cuapio, whose son Bryan was killed in 2006, lead the protest. Mendieta-Cuapio says, 'We need to pass Sammy's Law today, no more excuses.' Lawmakers hide behind closed doors. The mothers refuse to let their children’s deaths be ignored.

• ‘Sammy’s Law’ Hunger Strike Begins at State Capitol, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-06-06

Two mothers starve for justice at the State Capitol. Their children were killed by reckless drivers. They demand lawmakers pass Sammy’s Law. The bill would let New York City set lower speed limits. Assembly leaders stall. Grief meets gridlock.

On June 6, 2023, State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and advocates launched a hunger strike at the State Capitol for Sammy’s Law. The bill, introduced by Hoylman-Sigal and carried in the Assembly by Linda Rosenthal, would let New York City set speed limits below 25 mph. The official summary states it 'would authorize NYC to set speed limits below 25 mph but would not automatically change them.' Amy Cohen and Fabiola Mendieta-Cuapio, mothers whose children were killed by drivers, lead the protest. Despite majority City Council support and a home rule message, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie refuses to bring the bill to a vote. Advocates accuse lawmakers of hiding and demand transparency. The hunger strike exposes the human cost of legislative inaction.

• ‘Sammy’s Law’ Hunger Strike Begins at State Capitol, streetsblog.org, Published 2023-06-06

Albany stalls Sammy’s Law. The bill would let New York City drop speed limits to 20 mph. Families mourn. Lawmakers argue. Streets stay deadly. Supporters demand action. The Assembly hesitates. Lives hang in the balance. The city waits for a vote.

Sammy’s Law, debated on June 2, 2023, remains stalled in the New York State Assembly. The bill, championed by State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, would let New York City lower speed limits to 20 mph. The Transportation Committee, led by Bill Magnarelli, cited opposition and procedural delays. The City Council delivered the required home rule message. Amy Cohen, mother of Sammy, pressed the Assembly: "We are demanding that the Assembly bring the bill to a vote." Assemblyman Daniel Rosenthal withdrew support, claiming, "This bill is about revenue, not public safety." Despite 68% public support and backing from the mayor and Council, the Assembly remains undecided. The bill’s fate is uncertain. Vulnerable road users remain at risk while lawmakers debate.

• NYS Assembly still undecided on ‘Sammy’s Law’ to lower NYC speed limit, nypost.com, Published 2023-06-02

Albany lawmakers refuse to vote on Sammy’s Law. The bill would let New York City lower speed limits below 25 mph. Council and mayor back it. Assembly leadership stalls. Streets stay dangerous. Families wait. The city’s hands remain tied.

Sammy’s Law, named after 12-year-old Sammy Cohen Eckstein, would let New York City set speed limits below the state’s 25 mph minimum. The bill, carried by State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal, stalled in the Assembly despite strong support from the City Council and Mayor. Council Member Jen Gutierrez called the refusal to vote 'unbelievable,' saying, 'Families across the city deserve this vote.' Amy Cohen, Sammy’s mother, called the inaction 'unconscionable.' Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon said the bill lacks support to reach the floor. The bill passed the City Council’s home rule message but faces Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s resistance. The session ends June 8. Without action, the city cannot lower speed limits to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

• Sammy’s Law Not Expected to Pass in Assembly, Streetsblog NYC, Published 2023-05-31