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

Pedestrian Killed by Dump Truck Driver As De Blasio’s Commitment to Vision Zero is Questioned

File photo: Gersh Kuntzman

Another pedestrian has been run down and killed, this time by the driver of a dump truck in Coney Island.

Police said that the driver of a Francis Construction company truck hit a 58-year-old man who was in the crosswalk of Mermaid Avenue and West 21st Street on Saturday morning at around 10 a.m. The dump truck had been heading southbound on the side street, police said.

There were no arrests, cops said. The victim's identity was not released pending family notification. Francis Construction could not be reached on the weekend, as no one answered its phone.

The death shows anew that the "zero" part of Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero continues to recede like Gatsby's orgiastic future. Indeed, 2019 is turning out to be an exceptionally bloody year, with 67 people dying on New York City roads this year through May 5, according to police statistics.

The NYPD says that figure represents a 20-percent spike in road deaths. Injuries to people who get around on bikes are up 5 percent, as well. Injuries to pedestrians are down by the same amount.

De Blasio is under fire from activists for his waning commitment to his signature initiative.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Streetsblog’s ‘Car-Free Carolers’ Bring the Joy, Mirth and Ho-Ho-Hope to this Holiday Season

Streetsblog's singers are back, belting out their parody classics to make a serious point: New York's roadways don't have to be dangerous places for kids and lungs, but can be joyous spaces for people to walk around, shop, eat or just ... hang out.

December 18, 2025

At Last: Council To Pass Delivery Worker Deactivation Protections

At its final full meeting, the Council is poised to deliver protections to delivery workers.

December 18, 2025

Serious Traffic Injuries Went Up This Summer Under Adams, Bucking a Trend

The city recorded a 5-percent increase in serious injuries in the most-recent quarter, though overall injuries are down.

December 18, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: The Parks Mayor Edition

A coalition of greenspace-loving groups is demanding that Zohran Mamdani make good on his promise to raise the Parks Department's budget. Plus other news.

December 18, 2025

Mamdani Vows To Appeal Ruling that Killed DOT’s Astoria Bike Lane

The city has yet to appeal the nearly two-week-old ruling — but a new mayor says he'll change that pronto.

December 17, 2025

OPINION: I Led the Campaign To Get Cars Out Of Central Park, But I Strongly Oppose an E-Bike Ban

People now calling for a ban on e-bikes seem to forget what the park was like before cars were banned. It was way worse.

December 17, 2025
See all posts