Bronx Toddler Apparently One of Many Unreported NYC Pedestrian Deaths

Based on NYPD crash data and media reports, it appears that a toddler who was hit by a driver in the Bronx earlier this year soon died from his injuries.

On March 27 at around 4:40 p.m., a 2-year-old boy was chasing after an ice cream truck on Taylor Avenue in Parkchester when he was struck by an SUV driven by a 73-year-old woman, according to the Daily News and DNAinfo. The stories did not identify the child, who suffered a head injury and was initially hospitalized in critical condition, and Streetsblog could find no subsequent media coverage of the crash.

The crash occurred in the 43rd Precinct, which reported one pedestrian fatality in March. According to the March NYPD crash data report, the fatality happened on Taylor Avenue near the Cross Bronx Expressway, which matched the location cited by the Daily News. The vehicle involved in the crash was identified by NYPD as an SUV or station wagon.

The child was said to have been “thrown several feet into the air,” and a witness indicated to the News that the driver may have been speeding. But there is no sign that police or prosecutors pursued charges.

“You could tell she was going too fast,” said area resident Algeny Capellan, 30. “When you see an ice cream truck, you gotta slow down.

“I feel sorry for her, too,” she said of the driver.

The driver remained on the scene and was taken to the 43rd Precinct stationhouse for questioning.

Criminal charges were not expected to be filed, police sources said.

Likewise, five hours after the crash DNAinfo reported that “no criminality was suspected.”

“This is terrible,” Ralph Luchiano, a neighbor, told the News. “They go too fast down this street.” A month earlier, a livery cab driver slammed into a home a short distance away on Taylor Avenue, the second motorist to hit the same house in two years.

Year after year, traffic is the leading cause of injury-related death among kids in New York City. A number of small children have been reported killed by city drivers in 2012. In June, 4-year-old Ebrahim Kebe was struck while playing outside his home on a residential street, also in the Bronx. Days earlier, Kevin Rodriguez, 3, was run over by an ambulette driver in front of his parents in Coney Island. In April, Timothy Keith, age 5, was hit by a yellow cab driver in front of his parents in Cobble Hill. No charges were known to have been filed in any of those cases.

In 2011, 6-year-old Zhaneya Butcher was killed as she ran toward an ice cream truck in Jamaica. The driver was charged with DWI and manslaughter but was sentenced to probation and a six-month license revocation.

Around 40 pedestrians and cyclists are injured by New York City motorists every day. Most crashes go unreported, and stories of injuries rarely last beyond one news cycle, even when the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

To voice your concerns about neighborhood traffic safety directly to Deputy Inspector Russell J. Green, the commanding officer of the 43rd Precinct, go to the next precinct community council meeting. The 43rd Precinct council meetings happen at 8 p.m. first Wednesday of every month at the precinct, 900 Fteley Avenue. Call 718-542-6325 for more information.

The City Council district where this crash occurred is represented by Annabel Palma. To encourage Palma to take action to improve street safety in her district and citywide, contact her at 212-788-6853 or apalma@council.nyc.gov.