Deadly Car Crashes Kill Two Pedestrians in NYC Last Week

Two pedestrians were killed in car crashes in New York City on Tuesday, September 28th, incidents described by StreetsBlog as “the latest carnage in what has become the most-deadly year of Mayor de Blasio’s two terms in office.” One incident involved a driver “making a left turn from Avenue U onto notorious Ocean Parkway” in Brooklyn, hitting two pedestrians as they crossed the road. One of whom was killed by the SUV driver, who StreetsBlog reported had not been charged. The other pedestrian was taken to a local hospital.

StreetsBlog, a publication keenly attuned to pedestrian safety issues in New York City, described Ocean Parkway as “one of the most dangerous places in Brooklyn.” The reason for this is “free-for-all intersections” that functionally place drivers on an honor system as they wait for pedestrian crossings to complete, while keeping an eye out for traffic. In 2021 alone, per StreetsBlog, there have been “227 reported crashes (roughly one per day), injuring 18 cyclists, 13 pedestrians and 126 motorists” on Ocean Parkway between Fort Hamilton Parkway and the Belt Parkway. In 2019, 556 crashes were reported, with 16 cyclists injured, 18 pedestrians injured, and 129 drivers injured.

The other fatal car crash last Tuesday took place in the Bronx, where a 31-year-old pedestrian was struck and killed by the driver of a “massive 2021 Dodge Ram,” according to StreetsBlog. The victim had emerged from a parked car on Bronx River Avenue and East 174th Street, after which she proceeded to cross the street when a 42-year-old driver “slammed into her as he sped northbound on Bronx River Avenue towards the country.” The NYPD said he did not regain control of his car after the crash, hitting a series of parked cars. The victim died after being taken to a local hospital; the driver received charges of reckless endangerment and reckless driving.

As the report notes, there were a total of 196 deaths on New York City’s streets as of September 27th, 2021. By the same point in 2020, there were 164. The Bronx alone has seen 13,183 car crashes this year, with three cyclists, seven pedestrians, and 18 drivers killed.

More information on the deadly car crashes last week, and the pedestrians killed, is available via StreetsBlog.

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