Hours after a 10-year-old boy was killed by a garbage truck driver in Queens on Tuesday morning, a 68-year-old woman was struck and killed by a cement truck driver in Brooklyn.
According to the NYPD, the woman was hit near the intersection of New Utrecht Avenue and 49th Street in Borough Park at around 11:48 a.m.
The woman, who name has not been released yet, was pronounced dead on the street, while the driver, a 48-year-old man, remained at the scene, according to police.
An NYPD spokesperson said a preliminary investigation showed that the woman was crossing New Utrecht Avenue "mid block" when the northbound truck driver hit her, but cautioned that the investigation was ongoing. The driver has not received any summonses.
The driver who hit the 10-year-old boy near LeFrak City was behind the wheel of a city Department of Sanitation truck, and has also not received any summonses. The boy's mother was also struck, and remains in critical condition.
The NYPD and the Department of Transportation told reporters last month that they were stepping up enforcement on large vehicles to respond to a spike in pedestrians killed by truck drivers. Four of the six pedestrians killed in a 48-hour span in late December were killed by truck drivers, and SUV and truck drivers were involved in 46 percent of fatal crashes in 2019, up from about 40 percent between 2013 and 2017.
According to the DOT, 219 people were killed on New York City streets in 2019, up from 203 the previous year. Pedestrian deaths increased from 105 to 122, and cycling deaths nearly tripled, reaching their highest levels in 20 years.
"In moments of crisis, we don’t need hopes and prayers from our elected leaders; we need immediate action," Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris said in a statement after the 10-year-old's death. "We urge Mayor Bill de Blasio and members of the New York City Council to ensure that every New Yorker has the right to safe passage on our streets, and no New Yorker has to walk in fear."
Safe streets advocates have urged the City Council to pass Councilmember Brad Lander’s Reckless Driver Accountability Act, which would allow the city to impound vehicles that have received five or more red light and speed camera violations in a single year.
This coming Saturday at noon, Transportation Alternatives and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will participate in a "Strollers for Safe Streets" protest outside of 250 Broadway in Manhattan, across from City Hall.
