A Bronx pedestrian has died of wounds he suffered in August, when a reckless driver hit him and a friend on Boston Road — then injured a third person when he hopped the curb.
Police said on Wednesday that 57-year-old Michael Gayle died on Sept. 18 from injuries he sustained in the Aug. 21 crash at the horrific intersection of Boston Road and Pelham Parkway North. Police gave virtually no details about the driver who hit Gayle and his 62-year-old companion, then injured a person on the sidewalk in the 12:40 p.m. collision.
Here is what we do know: According to police, Gayle and his friend were "crossing at the intersection" when the driver hit them with his 2009 Honda sedan. The driver lost further control of the vehicle, which hit a 53-year-old on the sidewalk. She refused medical attention. The driver remained on the scene and was not charged.
Here's what we don't know: The NYPD narrative of the collision offers this confusing detail about the moment of impact: "the pedestrians were ... struck by the vehicle as he [sic] attempted to swerve to avoid making contact with them."
We've reached out to the NYPD for more information to explain what that means and for additional details, such as the exact location of the crash. We have also submitted Streetsblog's standard list questions after crashes, including, "Was the driver distracted by music or his phone?" "Was he distracted by a passenger in the car?" "Was the driver speeding?" "Did the pedestrians have the light?"
One thing is certain: The intersection of Pelham Parkway — a wide six-lane highway with service roads on both sides — and Boston Road, which has four lanes, plus a turning lane in the middle, is poorly designed to give car drivers hegemony over everyone else (Google image above from May).
Of course, it's not the only dangerous area in town. Through Oct. 1 this year, pedestrian deaths are up 10.5 percent citywide over the same period last year — an increase from 76 deaths last year to 84. Total road fatalities are up 13 percent, which reflects triple-digit percentage increases in cyclist deaths (from 10 to 22 so far this year) and the 28-percent increase in motorist deaths (from 29 to 37 over the same period), according to Department of Transportation stats.
If the NYPD gets back to us, this story will be updated.
