Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Brooklyn

Breaking Carnage: Driver on Sidewalk at Court and Degraw

This just in from Streetsblog contributor Laura Conaway:

Bystanders said a driver, an older woman, had a stroke while behind the wheel and hit several cars. She was traveling south on Court Street and hit her first car, so far as I could tell, at the corner of Degraw Street.

This happened minutes before 8 a.m. I had just stepped out of the house to buy a loaf of bread on that corner. Apparently the police were able to stop her right after it happened, but the whole scene was straight out of Jane Jacobs, with people racing out of stores to help.

On my way to the store, I happened to see an older gentleman walking a dog -- recognized them both, just people from the neighborhood. That's his dog, Muffin, lying dead under a brown towel, in the picture.

Looked like the original driver, the one with the stroke, rear-ended this red car, which then went up on the curb near a very popular coffee shop, D'Amico's. Ten minutes later and coffee-drinkers would have lined that stretch of sidewalk.

The car was stopped a block away.

Note: A pedestrian may have been struck by one of the vehicles involved. This has not been confirmed.

DSCN2155.JPG

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Oonee, The Bike Parking Company, Files Formal Protest After DOT Snub

Brooklyn bike parking start-up Oonee is calling foul play on the city's selection of another company for its secure bike parking program.

December 12, 2025

OPINION: I’m Sick Of Unsafe 31st Street And The Judge Who Killed Our Shot at Fixing It

An Astoria mom demands that the city appeal Judge Cheree Buggs's ruling ordering the removal of the 31st bike lane.

December 12, 2025

‘I’m Always on the Bus’: How Transit Advocacy Helped Katie Wilson Become Seattle’s Next Mayor

"I really think that our public transit system is such a big part of people's daily experience of government," says the incoming mayor of the Emerald City.

December 12, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Blue Highways Edition

The DOT showed off its first water-to-cargo-bike delivery route. Plus other news.

December 12, 2025

Court Docs Shed Light on Instacart’s Car-Dominant Delivery Business

Instcart's reliance on cars adds traffic, pollution and the potential for road violence to city streets.

December 11, 2025

More Truck Routes Are Coming To A Street Near You

The DOT wants to rein in freight trucks by adding more than 45 miles to the city’s existing network of truck routes.

December 11, 2025
See all posts