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

To NYPD, Anyone Outside a Car Is Asking for It

pslope1.jpgThe following is an eyewitness account from a tipster who came upon the aftermath of Monday's driver-pedestrian collision on Carroll Street and Eighth Avenue in Park Slope. The victim, a 57-year-old man, was in critical condition Monday afternoon, and police have no new information as of this writing. NYPD would not release a name. At the time, our tipster was told the victim had died shortly after the collision.

I came upon the scene around 11:30, and it was still taped off. There was an SUV parked haphazardly on the corner, and its windshield had obviously seen the impact of a human head. I thought it must have been a cyclist: the hood was creased, showing the ascent to the windshield, and the glass had a perfectly concave depression where the head hit.

I asked a detective taking pictures if a cyclist had been hit, and he said no. Then a youngish couple walked over to the car. You could tell by their attitude that they were somehow involved. I asked them, "Is everybody okay?" The man wouldn't make eye contact, and the woman gave me a frozen, tight smile and walked on. I soon learned they were the driver and passenger, and I was told that an old man was hit by them in the intersection. Now, how fast do you have to be going to hit a stationary object that it nearly goes through your windshield? (There was, in fact, an open crescent in the glass.)

I hung around and tried to figure out how it happened. The investigation seemed pretty involved; many 78th Precinct cops and detectives. I asked a beat cop there if the driver would be charged with homicide. "The only way is if the driver is intoxicated," he said. I made a disapproving snort. Then he said out of nowhere, "You see the cyclists around here? They all run red lights all the time. Run right through them."

What I didn't say was, "What the fuck does that have to do with vehicular manslaughter?"

Other than NY1 coverage from Monday, Streetsblog can find no media reports of this collision. If anyone knows of others, please link from comments.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Thursday’s Headlines: The Chips Fall Edition

So much corruption, so little time. Plus other news.

August 21, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Measuring Emissions Reduction for Bike Commutes

We talk to Mark Kabbash about his new system for measuring and verifying bike commuting to obtain carbon avoidance credits.

August 21, 2025

Advocates Beg DOT Sec. Duffy to Give Up Space and Fix Transit On Earth

Transportation Secretary/acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy wants to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. But a lot of Americans just want the bus to come on time.

August 21, 2025

This Company Wants to Help More Americans Buy Used E-Bikes

Trade wars in Washington are having a chilling effect on the U.S. bike market. Could selling more used cycles fill the gap?

August 21, 2025

OPINION: NYC Has Noise Cameras To Catch Loud Cars. Why Aren’t We Funding It?

The Adams administration is supposed to install 25 of them by the end of September. What's going on?

August 20, 2025

No, Washington Post, Driver’s Ed Isn’t The ‘Main Cause’ of Our Road Violence Crisis

The paper's recent article blamed bad driver's ed for America's dismal roadway safety stats — but that's just wrong.

August 20, 2025
See all posts