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

ARE WE SAFE ANYWHERE? Another SUV Driver Kills a Pedestrian, This Time a Senior Citizen

The corner where the fatal crash occurred. Photo via GoogleMaps

Another driver who couldn't control his SUV killed a pedestrian this week, the second SUV-related death in four days.

The crashes underscore that pedestrians (and cyclists) aren't safe anywhere — even when they are off the street or trying to stay away from cars. The first fatality was a child who was waiting at a bus stop on a sidewalk. The second was a senior citizen standing in a security booth. A third was a worker who was fixing a traffic light; a driver crashed into the worker's cherrypicker, sending the worker hurtling to his death. Meanwhile, cyclist Jose Alzorriz was killed last month by an SUV that careened into him when it was struck by a speeding car that blew through a red light. Alzorriz was waiting patiently curbside for the light to change.

Police say that on Thursday night at about 8 p.m., emergency responders arrived at 59 Paidge Ave. in Greenpoint, and found a 72-year-old man with serious leg injuries. The man was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he died. (Police later identified the victim as Juan Mendez of Bellerose, Queens.

An investigation found that a 62-year-old man behind the wheel of a 2017 Ford Explorer made a left turn from Provost Street onto Paidge Avenue, when police say the driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the security booth, in which the 72-year-old man was standing at the time.

A police spokesperson told Streetsblog that the investigation remains ongoing and that he wasn't sure if speed or weather conditions had contributed to the crash. The driver, who remained on the scene, has not been charged. Police did not identify the driver or his victim.

Mendez is the 152nd traffic fatality in the city this year.

Earlier this week, 10-year-old Enzo Farachio was killed by Alexander Katchaloft when Katchaloft drove his Lexus SUV into the boy while Farachio waited on the sidewalk at a bus stop.

And just hours after street-safety activists held a vigil in remembrance of Farachio at Avenue L and Ocean Avenue, an SUV driver plowed into an MTA bus nearby on Avenue J and Ocean Avenue.

The extreme toll that the overlarge, overpowered vehicles has taken on pedestrians has prompted growing calls for their removal from city streets.

A member of the German parliament last week demanded that the vehicles be banned after an SUV driver killed four pedestrians, including a three-year-old child.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Albany Pols Seize the Helm(et)

Helmet laws remain controversial — they're the "common-sense" approach pushed by lawmakers who ignore that studies show they don't improve safety.

May 30, 2025

Tisch Reveals Real Reason for Her E-Bike Crackdown: E-Bike Licensing

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch doubles down on her cycling criminalization campaign, saying e-bike licensing is the only other option.

May 30, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: A ‘Critical’ Moment Edition

Cyclists will protest against the NYPD's bike crackdown with a Critical Mass ride to City Hall on Friday. Plus more news.

May 30, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Astoria’s Big Beautiful 31st Avenue Bike Boulevard

Streetsblog paid a visit to New York City's widest on-street protected bike lane ever, which is up and running in Astoria.

May 30, 2025

Data Dump: E-Bike Crashes Were Down Before NYPD Crackdown, Contradicting Tisch’s Rationale

In the first four months of this year, e-bike crashes and injuries were down by double-digit percentages. So, um, why is the NYPD cracking down?

May 29, 2025

Memo to NYPD Commish Tisch: Drivers Keep Driving, And Killing, on Suspended Licenses

License suspension doesn't keep drivers off the road, why would it work with bikes?

May 29, 2025
See all posts