Transportation Alternatives Statement After Drivers Kill Five New Yorkers in One Weekend, Including Five-Year-Old Boy

All five New Yorkers were killed in Queens. 2024 is now tied as the deadliest year to date for the borough under Vision Zero.

Traffic violence has killed over 2,500 New Yorkers, including 111 children, since the beginning of Vision Zero.

QUEENS, NY — Traffic crashes killed five New Yorkers, including a 5-year-old boy, over the weekend. 

• On Saturday night, a SUV driver hit and killed a five-year old boy outside of Poppenhusen Playground. 

• On Sunday morning, the driver of a NYPD vehicle struck and killed a 22-year-old man crossing the Van Wyck Expressway. 

• Later that morning, at the same intersection where a pedestrian was killed by a driver just two months ago, a hit-and-run driver hit and killed two men riding a moped.

• The same morning, a driver overturned on Grand Central Parkway, killing one and injuring two others. 

The five-year-old boy was killed crossing the street at the exit to a playground. He was the fifth child to be killed this year and the 111th to be killed since the beginning of Vision Zero. This block has no southern crosswalk or daylighting, and with cars parked along the park, there is no safe way for any pedestrians to cross away from the southern side of the park.    

This year has been particularly deadly; so far, compared to the Vision Zero average, traffic fatalities are 17% higher citywide, and 43% higher in Queens. Earlier this year, Queens became the first borough to pass 750 fatalities in the Vision Zero era. 

Statement from Danny Harris, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives:

“We are heartbroken that five New Yorkers, including a five-year-old boy, were killed in traffic crashes over the weekend. No one should fear death or serious injury on our streets, and we are devastated that traffic violence continues to rise, especially in Queens.”

“Mayor Adams knows how to prevent crashes from happening. Street redesigns that slow down traffic and increase visibility are proven to save lives, and the NYC Streets Plan requires the administration to advance life-saving safety measures — such as protected bike lanes, car-free pedestrian space, and bus lanes. Yet, year-after-year, the Adams administration has fallen further behind on this mandate.”

“This is unacceptable. We need Mayor Adams to commit today to getting the NYC Streets Plan back on track and save lives.”