Yesterday, two pedestrian fatalities were noted on the Newsmap - one in Brooklyn and one in midtown Manhattan. The Brooklyn incident involved an elderly woman trying to cross 65th Street near 23rd Avenue at 11AM when she was hit by a van. Then around noon, Pedro Rodriguez, was crushed by a box truck's rear wheels on 44th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Rodriguez, who worked as a housekeeper at the Algonquin Hotel down the street, seemed to stumble toward the truck. Police deemed both incidents accidents and no summons were issued.
The Daily News had a story about the two recent pedestrian deaths in Boerum Hill (one man was killed by a minivan that jumped a Hoyt Streeet curb in the middle of the day, the other was killed crossing near Bond and Nevins in the middle of the night) prompting residents and business owners to demand that the city improve pedestrian safety on their part of Atlantic Avenue. The Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association is asking for "staggered traffic lights, larger sidewalks at intersections and the removal of an unpopular parking restriction on the south side from 4p.m to 7 p.m."





sadly, last friday on 57th and 8th in Manhattan an 88 year old man was killed while crossing on a walk signal by a bus.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/edstern/275634995
does this seem to be happening more often, or am i just more away of it now after my own accident (I was hit two months ago, thankfully nothing that afew more months of physical therapy will cure)? I feel like every day I'm reading about a pedestrian hit by a car
i'm not sure of the stats of the years past, but in '94 i was hit by a car and broke my leg—hit and run... i'm more aware of it as well, but i think the news, as usual, needs filler and this is good filler, as is reporting about violent crime, gruesome murders, sex scandals and the little they know about military ops in afghanistan. (speaking mostly of the ny post and the daily news which are only good for two things: sports and local).
I don't consider this filler. it's only two lines at the most.
It is happening more often, make no mistake.
The city not only hates bicyclists but pedestrians, too. time to go key some karz. or get me a pound o' nails from home depot and scatter them around.
Pedestrian struck fatalities account for nearly 40,000 deaths per year in the USA (NHTSA figure) and millions of injuries. It's ludicrous that we can't engineer, educate and enforce our way out of this preventable epidmeic.
Killing or injuring someone with a motor vehicle ought to be treated more seriously, perhaps then motorists would take driving more seriously.
I can't stand to see: Police deemed both incidents accidents and no summons were issued.
If you want to get away with murder in this country, just pick up your car keys.
Graham - your NHTSA figure is for pedestrian AND motorcycle deaths. Not pedestrian deaths alone.
as of 3 years ago, pedestrian fatalities were at an all time low:
http://www.transalt.org/press/magazine/034Fall/12peddeaths.html
The corner where the Manhattan man got hit is an accident waiting to happen everyday. I'm surprised that accidents like this don't happen more often in that area. No one wants to cross the avenue because of all the construction on the other side due to the new Bank of America building. People always cross on the red, they jaywalk through doubleparked trucks and no one stands ON or BEHIND the sidewalk waiting for the light to change. They all congregate in a huge group that practically touches the group congregating on the other side! I can't tell you how many people I've seen dart into traffic while yapping on their cell phone against the light. People have to take responsibilty for their safety as well. If you're late and in a rush, leave earlier or get you'll get hurt or possibly killed.