Statement: 10-Year-Old Child Killed by School Bus Driver in East New York

Statement of Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:

"On Tuesday morning, a school bus driver struck and killed a 10-year-old child near the intersection of Crescent Street and Wortman Avenue in East New York, Brooklyn. The child is at least the 20th pedestrian killed by a driver on New York City streets to date in 2020, and the fourth pedestrian killed in the last 48 hours. On behalf of Transportation Alternatives and Families for Safe Streets, we send our sincerest condolences to the child’s family. No one should have to fear death when walking in New York City.

This crash could have been prevented. At present, New York City has built and continues to invest in a transportation system that prioritizes moving traffic instead of protecting human life. This crash is not simply a failure of judgment on the part of the driver; it is a failure of leadership on the part of elected officials who accept tragedies like these as the price we pay for mobility. As we have seen in Helsinki and Oslo—both saw zero pedestrian or cyclist fatalities in 2019—Vision Zero is possible with the political will to make it happen.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children in New York City and around the world. We know what it takes to prevent these deaths, but our leaders have slow-rolled the cure. Mayor de Blasio says he wants to save our city, but he will fail if he is unable to protect the most vulnerable among us. Mr. Mayor, please: save our children.”