Mini-Bus Driver Critically Injures Woman, 95, Crossing East 86th Street

NYPD investigates a crash at 86th Street and Madison Avenue where a mini-bus driver critically injured a 95-year-old woman crossing the street. Photo: Stephen Miller

Yesterday at approximately 4:15 p.m., the driver of a white Diamond model mini-bus turning right from Madison Avenue onto East 86th Street struck an unidentified 95-year-old woman crossing the street from south to north. The woman was transported to Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition. NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad and DOT investigators were on the scene yesterday evening; police say the investigation is currently ongoing.

It appears the woman was struck in the crosswalk — blood and pieces of clothing were visible just outside the marked crossing early yesterday evening — but NYPD would not confirm. Tomasz Cizek, who works at an optician on the corner where the van driver struck the woman, said police reopened the street to traffic after the woman was taken to the hospital before closing it again about an hour later for the investigation.

A call to the number listed on the bus connects to D & J Ambulette Service of the Bronx, which operates ambulette, Access-A-Ride, and other shuttle services. Streetsblog called and e-mailed D & J this morning; our messages have not yet been returned.

The crash occurred in the City Council district represented by Dan Garodnick. In the wake of Tuesday’s crash where a curb-jumping cab driver maimed a Midtown pedestrian, Garodnick said on Twitter that he would explore options for improved pedestrian safety on Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

  • Eric McClure

    Just another day in a city that considers the deaths and maiming of pedestrians the cost of doing business. Future civilizations will look back on this era and regard the way we allow these things to happen on our streets with the same horror with which we look back on the pre-Civil War slave trade.

  • Anon

    Why didn’t the ambulance take her to Mt. Sinai about 10 blocks away rather than to Cornell Hospital at 67 and York — about 25 blocks away? Was the Cornell ambulance the first to arrive so they get the fee? The woman was critical and Mt. Sinai has a trauma department, doesn’t it?

  • Still Anonymous

    Wow. You live to be 95, you’re still spry enough to get around, and some careless dumbass critically injuries you.

  • cc

    5th and 6th Avenues should have protected bike lanes like 1st and 2nd Avenues. Hell, every wide Ave. should. There’s no reason for them not to.

  • 1bestdog

    How about improving pedestrian safety in the entire city?

  • Mary Long

    My daughter was almost hit by a cab that ran a red light in The Bronx..She started across and was hit by a second red light running cab. Then the cabbie stopped for just a second, then took off. A woman saw what happened and comforted my daughter until an ambulance came. She recovered, but she could have been killed! It was a Yellow Cab, the driver was tracked down and arrested.

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