Deadly Weekend in the Bronx in Deadliest Year for Traffic Violence Since Mayor de Blasio Took Office
Statement from Transportation Alternatives in Response to Weekend of Alarming and Fatal Crashes in the Bronx
Hit-and-run driver kills cyclist, Amazon delivery driver kills scooter rider, and hit-and-run driver injures six members of one family in allegedly intentional attack with car
Arrests made in only one percent of hit-and-run crashes in New York City
NEW YORK - Over the weekend, there were at least three incidents of horrific traffic violence in the Bronx, including a driver killing a cyclist in a Southern Boulevard hit-and-run, a driver of an Amazon delivery truck killing an individual on a stand-up scooter on East Tremont Avenue, and an allegedly intentional act of traffic violence that injured at least six members of the same family, with the driver then fleeing on foot near Sheridan Avenue.
Statement from Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:
“On behalf of Transportation Alternatives, we send our sincerest condolences to the families and communities devastated by these senseless acts of traffic violence in the Bronx.”
“June 1, 2020 to June 1, 2021 was the deadliest 12 month period citywide since Vision Zero began in 2014. At this rate, 2021 is on track to be the deadliest year on our streets since Mayor de Blasio took office.”
“As drivers are killing a record number of New Yorkers, the City has no plan to address growing levels of traffic violence, hit and runs, speeding, and reckless driving. From police officers, to librarians, to delivery cyclists, nobody is safe on our streets if we continue to prioritize driver convenience over human life.”
“As voters head to the polls tomorrow, we need our next mayor to redouble Vision Zero efforts and implement NYC 25x25, a plan to repurpose 25 percent of street space by 2025. NYC 25x25 is supported by seven leading Democratic candidates for mayor and would be an immediate tool to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists across the five boroughs.”
“But action for safe streets cannot wait until January 2022. We need Mayor de Blasio to make immediate improvements to dangerous corridors. He must also improve New York City’s dismal record for solving hit-and-runs. In Albany, the New York State Legislature must pass Sammy’s Law, allowing New York City to set safer speed limits, when they reconvene for a special session this summer.”
“Our streets are in a state of crisis. As more New Yorkers are dying, we need immediate action from those in power.”
Additional information on background:
Bronx Fatality Numbers:
So far in 2021, there have been at least four cyclists killed in the Bronx. This is the highest number by this point in the year since Vision Zero began in 2014. Additionally, the Bronx was the only borough to have an increase in pedestrian deaths from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, there were 14 pedestrian deaths in the Bronx. In 2020, there were 20 pedestrian deaths. The Bronx was also the only borough to have an increase in cyclist deaths from 2019 to 2020. In 2019, there were zero cyclist deaths in the Bronx. In 2020, there were eight cyclist deaths.
Hit-and-Runs:
In recent years, hit-and-run crashes resulted in arrest by the NYPD in approximately one percent of cases. According to NYPD statistics, the rate at which the NYPD is solving these crimes has been declining, with arrests made in only 0.922 percent of hit-and-run crashes in 2020, a decrease from 1.26 percent in 2018. In New York City, hit-and-runs are increasing from 36,000 in 2013 to an average of 45,000 over the last three years.
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