Auto Accidents

Published on: October 23, 2013

Even though Fourth Ave has a high record of pedestrian injury and death, Brooklyn’s Community Board rejects city’s plan for slowing traffic to prevent car accidents

After too many pedestrians suffered personal injury or wrongful death in traffic accidents on Fourth Ave in Bay Ridge Brooklyn, New York City proposed to trim traffic lanes to slow speeding drivers. This proposal was rejected by the Brooklyn Community Board 10. According to the Brooklyn Daily, some board members said they wanted the avenue to keep its current format, even if it endangers residents walking in the neighborhood.
A previous study for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the six-mile thoroughfare was the third most dangerous road in Brooklyn, tied with Avenue U and Eastern Parkway. The study shows that 4 pedestrians were killed on the strip between 2008 and 2010, mostly elderly and children. This year, two pedestrians have been killed at this location.

Fourth%20Ave%20Proposal.jpg
Courtesy of Department of Transportation: The city was also proposing an island to give refuge to pedestrians crossing Fourth Avenue on the southern side of 86th Street. The board rejected it as well.

Published on: October 23, 2013

New York Car Accident: Brooklyn woman dies in a 3 vehicle crash

By GGCRBHS&M

Rosa Eubanks, 54, was killed in a car accident involving 3 vehicles Tuesday morning. Rosa, a city bus driver, was driving to her depot when her car slammed into another car and and the course struck a tractor trailer truck at the intersection of Ralph and Foster Aves in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York.

Eubanks was married with 4 children and had been working for 19 years as a bus driver. She was an active supporter of Transport Workers Union Local 100. She died at Brookdale Hospital. The other driver was also injured and was transported to the hospital. He is in stable condition. The bus driver didn’t suffer any injury.

Product Liability – Defective Car: serious issue related to defective brake system prompts Hyundai to announce a second recall of its Genesis Sedan

By GGCRBHS&M

Last march Hyundai recalled its Genesis Sedan model manufactured between April 1, 2008 and March 16, 2012 to fix a defective brake system but only 60% have been repaired.

After the NHTSA received 23 complaints of incidents related to increased brake pedal travel and reduced brake effectiveness in model year 2009 Hyundai Genesis vehicles, including one crash, Hyundai is issuing a second recall the fix the other 40%.

Owners will be notified by mail but they can contact their dealer to have their car checked immediately if they wish.

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Published on: October 21, 2013

New York Car Accident: pedestrian dies after being struck by a minivan in Brooklyn

By GGCRBHS&M

Ethel Rubenstein, a 69 year old pedestrian died after being hit by a minivan on Sunday night. She was crossing 11th Ave. at 49th St. in Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York. The police are still investigating the cause of the accident. Read more in the New York Daily News

According to New York Crashmapper, during the last 25 months there were 5 other collisions at this location. One motorist and one cyclist were injured.

Published on: October 15, 2013

New York Car Accidents: two pedestrians victims of reckless drivers this week-end in New York

By GGCRBHS&M

John Dozier, a 64 year old Navy Veteran died after he was struck by a rented Chevy SUV on Friday night around 8:25 p.m. as he tried to cross Remsen Ave. and Avenue L, in Brooklyn New York. The police are still looking for the hit and run driver. Read more in the New York Daily News

A young man suffered severe personal injury after he was struck by a car at 57th Ave. and 99th St. in Corona, Queens, New York on Sunday. The 32 year old driver who was drunk, fled the scene but was later arrested by the police and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and driving while intoxicated. Read more in the New York Daily News.

Published on: October 15, 2013

New York Car Accident: Too many children die after beig struck by cars in New York City

By GGCRBHS&M

This year in New York eight children died after being struck by a car or another vehicle including three last week. The advocacy group “Right of Way” bicycled all over town on Sunday to stencil body outlines at the eight sites where these young children have been killed.

New York Car Accident: toddler died after being hit by drunk driver in Queens

By GGCRBHS&M

2 year old Jahir Figueroa was hit bit a car as he was crossing the road with his mom. The car driver who drove the child and his mother to a hospital – was drunk at the time of the accident and has been charged with vehicular manslaughter. The toddler who was walking hand in hand with his mother, but slipped out of her grip moments before being struck, died at the hospital.

New York Car Accident Prevention: Bloomberg and Department of Transporattion Commissioner Sadik-Khan anounce Citywide Expansion of Neighborhood Slow Zones to Combat Speeding on Residential Streets and Further Improve Record Traffic Safety

By GGCRBHS&M

Slow%20Zone%20New%20York.jpg In New York City 81 people died in traffic accidents related to speed last year. Even though this number is one of the lowest ever recorded, speeding remains the greatest contributing factor in traffic fatalities in the city. In a continuous effort to make the city safer and reduce traffic fatalities, Mayor Bloomberg and Traffic Commissioner Sadik-Khan announced this week that the New York Neighborhood Slow Zone program would be expanded to 15 new communities.

In a previous post in May we announced that communities could apply for Neighborhood slow zones. The City received a total of 74 applications and selected 15 of them based on criteria such as crash history, community support, proximity of schools, and senior and daycare centers.

The 15 communities selected are: Alphabet City in Manhattan, Norwood in the Bronx, Clinton Hill/Bedford Stuyvesant and Brownsville in Brooklyn, and Jackson Heights, Queens in 2014; Sunnyside Gardens/Woodside and Sunnyside in Queens, Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Parkchester in the Bronx and Manhattan’s West Village in 2015; and Midland Beach in Staten Island, Brooklyn Heights and Prospect Heights in Brooklyn, Westchester Square in the Bronx and Hudson Heights in Manhattan in 2016.

Published on: October 11, 2013

New York Traffic Accidents: NYPD opposes a bill requiring the department of information technology and telecommunications to create and maintain an interactive website detailing traffic crash data

By GGCRBHS&M

A New York City public map of crash locations and traffic fatalities that would be updated monthly is a brilliant idea but the NYPD is reluctant to share this data with the public.

At a City Council transportation committee hearing on Thursday, the NYPD testified in opposition to a bill requiring NYPD to release a monthly crash map to the public. The NYPD said that it was already doing enough to release information to the public.

At present, crash and summons information is released in PDF and Excel formats that the police department must compile each time it releases data.

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Published on: October 7, 2013

New York Car Accident: Pedestrian struck and killed by drunk off-duty NYPD cop in Staten Island

By GGCRBHS&M

A pedestrian died after he was hit by a car driven by a drunk off duty cop last Friday early in the morning on Richmond Terrace near Simonson Ave. in Mariners Harbor in Staten Island, New York.

William Hemphill, 51, a union operating engineer was crossing the road to go to work at the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company shipping office, when the car driven by NYPD off duty cop Joseph McClean hit him so hard that he landed a block away. Paramedics rushed Hemphill to a Staten Island hospital, where he died.

NYPD cop Joseph McClean was charged with DWI.

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