NYC Drivers Injured 1,023 Pedestrians and Cyclists in April, and Killed Eight

Eighteen people died in New York City traffic in April, and 4,424 were injured, according to City Hall’s Vision Zero View crash data map.

City Hall reported 38 pedestrians and cyclists killed by city motorists through April, and 4,314 injured, compared to 44 deaths and 4,685 injuries in the first four months of 2016.

Eleven motor vehicle occupants died in the city in April, according to City Hall, and 3,401 were injured.

Citywide, six pedestrians and two cyclists were fatally struck by drivers last month. Among the victims were Gelacio Reyes, Kelly Hurley, Michael Joefield, Khavir Ahmed, Manikam Srymanean, Rosa Ramirez, Sergio Gutierrez, and an unnamed male pedestrian in Brooklyn. (Gutierrez was struck in the Bronx by a hit-and-run driver and died from his injuries this month. His death, announced by NYPD last week, is not yet reflected in the City Hall fatality data.)

Motorists killed two seniors in April: Khavir Ahmed, 84; and the unnamed male pedestrian in Brooklyn, who was 71.

Across the city, 701 pedestrians and 322 cyclists were reported hurt in collisions with motor vehicles. Per NYPD policy, few of these crashes were investigated by trained officers.

Of eight fatal crashes on surface streets reported by Streetsblog and other outlets, one motorist was charged for causing a death. Two victims were killed by hit-and-run drivers who were not immediately caught or identified. Three victims were known or believed to have been walking or biking with the right of way, but in at least two of those cases, NYPD did not apply the Right of Way Law. In three cases, NYPD blamed the victim in the press.

Gelacio Reyes was killed on 43rd Avenue and 39th Street in Sunnyside, where a motorist critically injured another cyclist weeks before. Though the driver who killed Reyes was charged with drunk driving and unlicensed driving, Captain Ralph Forgione of the 108th Precinct publicly blamed Reyes for his own death.

When a turning truck driver killed cyclist Kelly Hurley on First Avenue in Manhattan, NYPD at first blamed her for the crash. Police ticketed the driver for not having legally required convex mirrors, which help truck drivers see people walking and biking. Initially, no charges were filed, but weeks later, police said they would recommend charges to the district attorney.

A commuter van driver hit Khavir Ahmed while turning left into a crosswalk near the victim’s Jamaica home. NYPD’s account of the crash suggested Ahmed had the right of way, but no charges were filed.

A yellow cab driver struck beloved neighborhood figure Manikam Srymanean in a crosswalk in the Upper East Side’s 19th Precinct, which is known for fixating on cyclists’ behavior as drivers routinely kill people. Police told the press Srymanean had a walk signal, but they didn’t charge the driver, which means the Taxi and Limousine Commission will take no action against his license to drive a cab.

Historically, nearly half of motorists who kill a New York City pedestrian or cyclist do not receive so much as a citation for careless driving.