Transportation Alternatives Statement After 15-year-old Girl Killed in a Hit-and-Run by a School Bus Driver in Sheepshead Bay

NEW YORK — Early Monday morning, authorities confirmed the death of a 15-year-old girl, who was fatally struck in a hit-and-run by the driver of a school bus outside of James Madison High School on Bedford Avenue and Avenue P in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. 

This tragic death of a minor marks the 10th death in 2022, and follows a deadly rise in hit-and-runs and reckless driving across New York City.  About 60 percent of pedestrian deaths in 2021 were the result of “major violators”, which includes drivers who flee the scene, drivers without a valid license, drivers with three or more convictions, and drivers with a prior DWI or any other prior suspensions, according to the Department of Transportation. 

Statement from Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Danny Harris:

“We are heartbroken and angry, and send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the teenager killed outside a school in Sheepshead Bay this morning. Whether they are crossing the street, standing at bus stops, or being pushed in strollers, traffic crashes continue to kill our kids and remain the leading cause of injurious death for children across New York City. But, it does not have to be this way.” 

“New York City must use proven tools that keep our children safe, and address the city’s deadly epidemic of traffic violence and reckless driving. We will work with Mayor Adams, Commissioner Rodriguez, and the City Council to ensure that our intersections and streets are safe for all New Yorkers, especially our most vulnerable. We demand justice for the family, as they process the unimaginable tragedy of losing a child, and the fact that the driver who killed her did nothing to help and fled the scene.”

“Our leaders must take immediate action and use every possible tool to save lives. We must redesign deadly corridors, enact NYC 25x25, and reduce the number of vehicles on New York City’s streets. We must do so now so that no more families have to face the horror of burying a child who simply wanted to cross a street in front of a school in New York City.”