Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Car Culture

Slow Down! Speed Demons Send Two People To Overwhelmed Hospitals

The moment of impact on Ocean Parkway. Photo: NYC Scanner

Paramedics rushed two people to already over-capacity emergency rooms on Wednesday evening, thanks to speeding drivers who refused to slow down amid a worsening health crisis.

According to the NYPD, a driver of a Honda SUV was traveling at a “high rate of speed” down Ocean Parkway at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday when he or she crashed into a second vehicle heading east on Avenue U. After the initial impact from the high-speed crash, the Honda flipped multiple times and collided with two additional vehicles before finally coming to rest, as seen on video posted by NYC Scanner. The force was so great that one of the vehicles ended up striking a fifth vehicle.

https://twitter.com/NYScanner/status/1242932691420549121

Paramedics took the driver of the Honda SUV to Coney Island Hospital, and a 33-year-old woman behind the wheel of the fifth vehicle to Maimonides, both with minor injuries, according to the NYPD.

The video shows at least half a dozen emergency responders on the scene — people whose jobs are now under water trying to keep up with the growing number of coronavirus patients and victims.

https://twitter.com/NYScanner/status/1242932849646452736

Streetsblog on Tuesday revealed that this preventable crash is not just a one-off anecdote but a symptom of drivers treating the mostly open roads as speedways.

New York City’s speed cameras spit out 83,478 violations in an eight-day period in March — only eight-percent fewer than during a similar eight-day period in January, when there were tens if not hundreds of thousands more cars on the road.

When told of Streetsblog's findings, Mayor de Blasio urged New Yorkers to slow down, because the hospitals can't handle more patients.

“The last thing we want is any additional crash that harms your fellow New Yorkers and takes up yet another bed in a hospital. And my number one reason we don't want the crash is because it means a human being got hurt. But we also cannot afford our already struggling hospital capacity to be further strained. And it's about to get really, really bad," de Blasio said during his daily press briefing on coronavirus. "So, even though the streets are more open, everyone still has to slow down and be careful and not act like, you know, we're in a different situation where it's open season if you want to speed. It is not and we will make sure the NYPD is vigilant and that there's real enforcement because we have to keep people safe.”

https://twitter.com/BayRidgeDrivers/status/1243190706606419971

Police said the crash is under investigation and have not made any arrests or issued any summonses.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025

Ex-DOT Official Warns NYC’s ‘Counterproductive’ E-bike Speed Limit Will Curb Biking, Safety

The mayor is working overtime to undo the decade of gains for cycling in the Big Apple, a former de Blasio administration official told Streetsblog.

July 3, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

Things are slowing down for summer, but not entirely. Here's the news.

July 3, 2025

DOT Boss Defends Adams’s ‘Vision Zero’ Record As Agency Fights A Bike Lane in Court

Traffic fatalities are down and the DOT is taking a victory lap — even as it argues against a protected bike lane in court.

July 2, 2025

Cyclist Arrested After Crash with Electric ‘One-wheel’-Style Unicycle

Carolyn Backus is charged with fleeing the scene of a crash causing serious injury, but the details are murky.

Wednesday’s Headlines: Return of Summer Streets Edition

Summer Streets is back and bigger than ever. Plus more news.

July 2, 2025
See all posts