The Weekly Carnage
The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle violence across the five boroughs and beyond. For more on the origins and purpose of this column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.
2:55 PM EDT on October 19, 2012
The Weekly Carnage is a Friday round-up of motor vehicle violence across the five boroughs and beyond. For more on the origins and purpose of this column, please read About the Weekly Carnage.
Fatal Crashes (3 killed this week, 127 this year, 9 drivers charged*)
- Jamaica: Maleka Begum, 54, Hit by Bus Driver in Crosswalk; No Charges Filed (Streetsblog)
- East Harlem: 44-Year-Old Woman Struck on Harlem River Drive (DNA)
- Williamsburg: 50-Year-Old Tractor-Trailer Driver Rear-Ended, Ejected from Vehicle; No Charges (DNA)
Injuries, Arrests and Property Damage
- Williamsbridge: Driver Hits, Seriously Injures 12-Year-Old in Crosswalk; No Charges (DNA)
- Greenwich Village: Intoxicated, Unlicensed Driver Leads Police Chase Before Crash (Post Blotter)
- Astoria: Nine Injured When Driver Rear-Ends School Bus (DNA)
- Bushwick: Off-Duty Cop Busted After DWI Crash, Fleeing Scene (Post)
- Middle Village: Driver Slams Into Glass Storefront; Police Quiet on Cause, Criminality (DNA)**
- Ridgewood: Cops Pursue SUV Thief After He Tried to Run Them Down (DNA)
- Parkchester: Driver Pins Cop Between Scooter and Fence; “No Criminality” (Post)**
- Sunnyside, SI: Driver With DWI Record Caught Asleep in Car With Engine Running (Advance)
- Midtown: Taxi Driver Throws Passenger Into Street, Allegedly Over Disputed Ride to Queens (Post)
In the Region, Out of Town
- North Hills, NY: Drunk Driver Kills Nassau Cop on LIE; Charged With Manslaughter (NBC NY, Fox)
- Gallatin, NY: Five Teens Hospitalized in One-Car Crash After Driver “Lost Control” (WSJ)
- Hampton, NJ: Driver Whose Crash Injured Four Cyclists Sentenced to 150 Days in Prison (Star-Ledger)
- Montclair, NJ: Driver Trapped in Car for Hours Following Crash Into Tree (Montclair Patch)
Following Up
- Company Whose Bus Driver Killed Maleka Begum: Driver Had “Unblemished Record” (Times Ledger)
- Cop Accused of Drunkenly Mowing Down Bronx Senior Turns Down Plea Deal (R’dale Press, News)
- Related: Kevin Spellman Had History of Drinking and Driving, Kept Quiet by NYPD (Streetsblog)
- Ray Kelly Ignores Inquiry From City Council Member Into Death of UES Senior Rubin Baum (Streetsblog)
- SI Church Hires DWI Cop Who Killed Family of Four Out of “Forgiveness and Mercy” (Advance)
- Friends Mourn South Ozone Park Teen Killed in Long Island Crash (Times Ledger)
*Based on latest available reports
**Incident in which a vehicle left the roadway
More from Streetsblog New York City
State Bill Would Stop Highway Expansions Near Vulnerable New Yorkers
Assembly Member Emerita Torres's Stop Highway Community Harm Act would ban the state from expanding highways within 200 feet of public housing or in ZIP codes with the highest asthma-related emergency room visits in the state.
April 3, 2026
Study: How Capping Vehicle Sizes Could Help Save the World
...and why a multi-pronged transportation reform strategy is critical to curb climate change, slash road deaths, and more.
April 3, 2026
Friday’s Headlines: Margin For Terror Edition
The trendline for carnage is going the right way. But it ain't zero. Plus other news.
April 3, 2026
Talking Headways Podcast: Civil Rights, Civic Transport
Let's talk about "disparate impact" — and why the Trump administration wants to gut it.
April 3, 2026
Breaking: Hit-And-Run Driver Kills Woman on Deadly Ocean Avenue
The victim was taken to Maimonides Hospital, where she died. The driver fled.
April 2, 2026
Comments Are Temporarily Disabled
Streetsblog is in the process of migrating our commenting system. During this transition, commenting is temporarily unavailable.
Once the migration is complete, you will be able to log back in and will have full access to your comment history. We appreciate your patience and look forward to having you back in the conversation soon.