Man Hit by Two Drivers Was Third Fatality in 109th Precinct in Two Months

A man was struck and killed by two motorists yesterday in a Queens precinct where drivers have killed at least two other people since late September.

Brian Nowell, 47, was crossing 14th Avenue at 129th Street in College Point at around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday when he was hit by a westbound driver in a Toyota Camry, according to NYPD and reports in the Times Ledger and Queens Courier. The impact of the collision threw Nowell into the opposite lane, and he was struck a second time by the driver of a Chevrolet Suburban. Nowell was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fourteenth Avenue has pedestrian curb cuts at 129th Street. But there are no crosswalk markings, and no signage or signals to indicate to motorists that people may be crossing the street. Crashes at the intersection in 2003 and 2006 resulted in injuries to two pedestrians, according to Transportation Alternatives' CrashStat.

Regardless of street conditions, state law requires motorists to yield to pedestrians at unmarked crosswalks. Neither driver was immediately charged or summonsed by NYPD. A department spokesperson told Streetsblog the crash is still under investigation.

This fatal crash occurred in the 109th Precinct, where as of September officers had issued 588 speeding tickets in 2013, and 327 summonses for failure to yield to a pedestrian. During the same time frame, the 109th Precinct ticketed 2,920 vehicle occupants for not wearing a seatbelt. At least three pedestrians, including Michael Munoz and 3-year-old Allision Liao, have been killed by motorists in the precinct in the last two months.

To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Brian J. Maguire, the precinct’s commanding officer, go to the next community council meeting. The 109th Precinct council meetings happen at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at the precinct, 37-05 Union Street in Flushing. Call the precinct at 718-321-2268 for information.

The City Council district where Brian Nowell was killed is represented by lame duck Dan Halloran. He will be succeeded by Paul Vallone.