Death of Deliverista in Kensington Pushes Brooklyn to 500 Traffic Fatalities Since Mayor de Blasio Took Office
Death Occurs At Same Deadly Intersection Where Hit-And-Run Driver Killed 14-Year-Old Mohammad Naiem Uddin in 2014
NEW YORK - In response to a van driver killing a delivery worker on an electric scooter in Kensington this morning, the 500th person killed by traffic violence in Brooklyn since Mayor de Blasio took office, the Danny Harris, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director, released the following statement:
Statement from Danny Harris, Transportation Alternatives Executive Director:
“Today’s crash and death of deliverista Federico Zaput Palas marks another grim milestone in New York City: 500 deaths from traffic violence in Brooklyn since Mayor de Blasio took office. Palas’ death, like the more than 1,700 on our streets since 2014, was preventable and the result of Mayor de Blasio failing to quickly and aggressively scale the proven safety solutions of Vision Zero. More than six years after a hit-and-run driver killed a 14-year-old at this exact same intersection, there is no excuse for the lack of significant traffic calming infrastructure at this location.”
“We extend our condolences to the family of Federico Zaput Palas and the entire deliverista community. Palas is, at least, the second deliverista to be killed on the job this month. Delivery cyclists are essential workers. They work on the front lines to keep our city fed, yet our leaders fail these essential workers by withholding street safety infrastructure that could have saved Federico’s life today.”
“The first six months of 2021 have been the deadliest on our streets since Mayor de Blasio took office. Unless this mayor and the next mayor take back space from deadly cars, we will continue to face record-breaking traffic violence year after year.”
Additional information on background:
Of the 500 people killed on Brooklyn streets since Mayor de Blasio took office, 286 were walking, 59 were on a bike, and 155 were in a car, truck, moped or e-scooter. By these figures, 69 percent were walking or biking when killed. The average age of individuals killed was 49 and a quarter were 30 or younger. The youngest was only 1 year old, the oldest was 96, a World War II veteran, Irwin Meyer, who lost most of his belongings during Superstorm Sandy.
Through June 30, fatal crashes killed 124 New Yorkers, making the first half of this year the deadliest first six months of any year under Mayor Bill de Blasio. The first half of 2021 was also the deadliest first half of the year in Brooklyn both overall and specifically for pedestrians since Mayor de Blasio took office.
A full analysis of crash data from the first six months of 2021 can be found in a July 21, 2021, press release from Transportation Alternatives.
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