To discuss the implementation of Vision Zero to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths related to traffic accidents, New York State Senator Brad Holyman held a “Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Town Hall” at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice tonight. See below for more info.
A deadly truck accident happened yesterday in New York. A 25 year old rabbinical student was hit by a garbage truck as he was in the crosswalk on Kingstone Ave at Caroll St. in Crown Hights, Brooklyn. The pedestrian had the “walk signal” when he stepped in the crosswalk. According to witnesses, when the pedestrian realized that the truck driver didn’t see him, he tried to walk back but he was struck by the side of the truck and ran over. He died at the scene.
Read more in the Daily News
4000 New Yorkers suffer severe personal injury and 250 are killed every year in traffic accidents and to Bill de Blasio this is unacceptable. Yesterday afternoon the Mayor of New York presented “Vision Zero Action Plan” the first report produced by a multi agency task force that the mayor created last month. (See previous blog) .
Vision Zero has proven to be a successful program throughout different cities of the world because its multi faceted approach brings together government, advocacy and private sector actors as well as the public to become part of the solution. In a similar fashion, yesterday’s action plan contains proposed actions by the City, the Police Department, the Department of Transportation, the Taxi & Limousine Commission, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Some of the most interesting recommendations include
Queens pedestrians are at a high risk of personal injury as they have no other alternative than to walk in the street with the traffic because the City of New York is not cleaning the icy sidewalks that are on its property.
Residents are upset because according to the law in New York, property owners have 4 hours to clean their sidewalk after a snowstorm or they get a $150 ticket. The city hasn’t cleaned its sidewalks for days putting Queens residents at risk of slip and fall injuries or a car accident if they choose to walk in traffic to avoid walking on ice.
A crew from New York One was there to document the situation and met an elderly woman who just slipped and fell on her face. Her face was bleeding and she was taken to the hospital by paramedics for further treatment. Read more and look at the video on New York One website
A pregnant woman was struck and killed by a negligent snow plow driver on a supermarket parking lot in Brooklyn, New York. The baby was delivered by C-section but according to doctors the baby suffered oxygen deprivation and may have brain and other organ damages. The bobcat driver wasn’t charged but received 3 tickets because the vehicle, a Bobcat (skid steer loader), lacked an inspection sticker, a headlamp and a license plate light. The neighbors of the woman are upset and believe the driver should be criminally charged. What do you think?
Read more in the New York Daily News
To reduce the number of deaths and personal injuries related to traffic accidents, Bill de Blasio recently launched “Vison Zero” in New York City. In a first step the mayor created inter-agency working groups with members from the Police Department, the Department Of Transportation, the Health Department and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. These working groups had until last February 15th to come up with proposals to improve street safety (see our previous blog). In the meantime, the death of 3 pedestrians in less than 10 days on the Upper West Side prompted the police to take immediate measures to prevent further traffic accidents. Tickets have been issued against drivers and in large numbers against jaywalkers. 215 Jaywalking tickets have been issued from the beginning of the year through February 9th compared to 27 last year.
Read more in the New York Times
A commercial truck driver crushed a pedestrian in Brooklyn and just sped off as the man was left unconscious. The 70 year old pedestrian was pushing a shopping cart alongside a parked commercial truck. When the pedestrian was at the level of the cab door, the truck pulled out, crushed the man and continued without stopping. The man was found unconscisous at the place of the accident and died at the hospital. The police are still looking for a dark color three axle truck.
Read more in New York CBS
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577
Broadway, First Ave, Second Ave and Seventh Ave are the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in Manhattan. According to The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, out of a total of 89 pedestrians who died after being struck by a vehicle in Manhattan between 2010 and 2012, 28 of them died on one of these large avenues.
In the Bronx, where 72 pedestrians were killed on roads,East Gun Hill Road, Fordham Road, The Grand Concourse and White Plains Road had the highest number of pedestrian deaths between 2010 and 2012.
Flatbush Avenue, Ocean Parkway, Atlantic Avenue, Avenue J, Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway were the deadliest roads in Brooklyn where 123 pedestrians lost their lives in a vehicle accident between 2010 and 2012.
In New York most drivers who killed or injured a pedestrian will not face charges. In its cover story the Village Voice looks at the recent cases of pedestrian accidents and at the measures that could be enacted to reduce these accidents.
Almost every day pedestrians are being struck by vehicles in NYC. On Monday a bronx woman was struck and killed by a bus while crossing Broadway and 74th Street in Jackson Heights around 6 p.m. Yesterday a man suffered serious injury after being struck by a commerical van in Elmhurst. The same day, a woman was injured after she was clipped by a taxi in midtown
To help combat the epidemic of pedestrians who die or suffer serious personal injury in New York, Gale Brewer, the Borough President, submitted a list of the NYC 57 most dangerous crossings. This list include 96th street and Broadway where two pedestrians recently died as well as 17 other locations in uptown manhattan..
Read more in the New York Daily News
New York Personal Injury Attorneys Blog