A woman has died and a man is in critical condition after two separate crashes on Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, both occurring within 24 hours of each other. The first crash took place on Saturday at the intersection of Hylan Boulevard and Steuben Street when a Pontiac made a left on Steuben and crashed into a southbound Mercedes. 82-year-old Mary Toppino was sitting in the rear passenger seat of the Mercedes, and died of her injuries.

Sunday evening, a 72-year-old man rear-ended a Mercury parked at the corner of Hylan and Woods of Arden Road. The crash was so bad that the man needed to be cut out of the remains of his car by emergency workers, and he is currently "fighting for his life," according to the Staten Island Advance. Unfortunately, the Boulevard is known for its crashes. One neighbor said of Hylan and Steuben Street, "I try not to drive on that block at all. It can't just be a coincidence—there's something wrong with that intersection." The intersection has seen three fatal crashes in the past year and a half.

Neighbors also say poorly timed lights on Hylan Boulevard encourage people to speed. "Unless they hit 60 (mph), they can't do it," said one man. "The minute this light changes, they jam on the gas to get to the green." Police don't suspect criminality in either of the crashes, and no charges have been filed. In 2007, Hylan Boulevard and New Dorp lane was rated the most dangerous intersection in the borough, with 34 crashes from 1995 to 2005.