Families for Safe Streets Statement in Response to Reckless SUV Driver Killing Brooklyn Girl
NEW YORK – On Tuesday evening, the driver of a Lexus SUV struck and killed a 6-year-old girl at the intersection of 12th Ave. and 67th St. in Dyker Heights. New York City is on track to have the deadliest year for traffic crashes since 2014. Under Mayor de Blasio’s tenure, 1,782 people have been killed, including 88 children 18-years-old or younger.
Statement from Families for Safe Streets member Dana Lerner, whose 9-year-old son Cooper Stock was killed in the crosswalk by a taxi driver who failed to yield in 2014:
"Our hearts break for this young girl’s family and loved ones. On behalf of Families for Safe Streets, we send our deepest condolences to the community devastated by this preventable act of traffic violence on a known-dangerous corridor. We know all too well the pain and destruction this nightmare brings to an entire family."
"Crossing the street should not be a death sentence, but it too often is because of the inaction of our elected leaders. Seven years ago, my son was killed holding his father’s hand in the crosswalk. Since then, traffic violence has taken 87 more children — including a young girl in Brooklyn last night. These aren’t statistics.These are 87 futures stolen and communities destroyed."
"2021 is on track to have the most fatalities of any year under Mayor de Blasio — seven years after Vision Zero began. Since 2019, traffic deaths have been on the rise in New York City. Despite this, our pleas for City Hall to stem the tide by aggressively investing in redesigning our streets go unanswered and the violence continues."
"We need Mayor de Blasio and our future mayor to fulfill the promises of Vision Zero. Police enforcement will not get New York City to Vision Zero. Victim blaming by the police, as the NYPD did in response to the death of this 6-year-old child, will not get us to Vision Zero. We already know what will get us there — opening streets to people, scaling proven safety measures across every corner of our city, and prioritizing human life over driver’s convenience."
"We don’t need any more empty promises from our leaders; we need action now. We need our leaders to accelerate the redesign of dangerous corridors, and we need our current and future mayor to act boldly to stop this public health crisis. We need our state legislators in Albany to pass Sammy’s Law and expand safety cameras citywide.”
Additional information on background
Rising Number of SUVs in New York City
Between 2016 and 2020, there was a 21 percent increase in the number of SUVs registered in New York City, while the number of registered sedans dropped 17 percent. The share of fatalities involving SUVs in New York City has increased 55 percent for cyclists and 47 percent for pedestrians compared to Mayor de Blasio’s first term. The share of cycling and pedestrian deaths involving sedans declined 57 and 33 percent over the same period.
