The scene tonight.Pieces of I guess the other car were as far as the eye can see on Queens Blvd. You can see some of them on the pavement if you look closely (sorry for the blurry pic, but I was a bit distracted literally walking over the debris from the other car as I crossed this evening).
When are these drivers going to learn that this is not a highway?
When is the city going to learn that it needs to do more?
For example, when are we going to get rumble strips put down on these death-trap intersections here in Forest Hills like I've been calling for for years?
I hear they've finally started doing it in other places nearby.
I got hit by a car on the corner of 72nd and queens blvd trying to cross over the queens blvd service road to get to the parking. There are no cross walks. The suv was backing up in a no standing zone in front of a bus stop and the police said it was my fault because I didn't use a cross walk. THERE ARE NONE.
ReplyDeletei hope you contacted a personal injury firm!
DeleteI just finished serving on a jury for a similar auto collision except it was a hit and run. I was an alternate, but my jury would have sent him home saying it was 90% his fault if not completely his fault.
DeleteOne of the most attractive things about living in NYC is that it is by far the most walkable city in the US. Paradoxically, NYC seems to also have some of the least pedestrian friendly laws and government agencies in the country.
ReplyDeleteIn most places, blatantly running over a pedestrian who has the "WALK" light in a crosswalk would lead to criminal charges perhaps as serious as criminally negligent homicide. But in NYC, that almost never happens.
Linked below is a case that happened on Main Street in Flushing, Queens last year where a 3-year old girl was ran over and killed while crossing the street with her grandmother in the crosswalk with the "WALK" light. Despite video of the accident clearly showing the driver to be grossly negligent, the driver was not criminally charged and was merely issued traffic tickets. To top it all off, the DMV later dismissed those traffic tickets over the objections of the police officers who collected the video of the accident and issued the tickets.
You can see the accident at around 2:00 mark of the video in the article.
http://gothamist.com/2014/11/07/dmv_liao_killed_tickets.php
This is becoming a chronic problem @ Ascan and 72Dr especially on the north side, the corner of the Kennedy House. My apt overlooks this intersection and in the last 4 weeks there have been two multiple car collisions around 9-11PM ( Friday and Saturday nights ) one of which involved a pedestrian. This is all happening on the service road and due to cars speeding or not paying attention to cars making the left turn from Q Blvd onto 72Dr or the U turn onto the service road. At this intersection there is a traffic light camera which is ineffective for speeders. Perhaps the NYPD should consider putting in one of their surveillance cameras that are popping up all over NYC? Might the community board get involved on this? This is a dangerous intersection because of its width even in the best of times. As a driver with the timed green lights on the Blvd it seems almost highway like!
ReplyDeleteI am really hoping they enforce strictly the 25mph speed limit at Queens Blvd by the end of the year. I would not be opposed if they install speed cameras along the Blvd too.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to know if foot bridges in the Blvd makes sense as well.
http://queens.brownstoner.com/2014/11/25-mph-speed-limit-for-queens-boulevard/
I walk by this intersection every day. I have lost count of the number of times cars have cut in front of me as I am walking with the light, across Queens Boulevard, from Ascan, as cars proceeding from Ascan, making a right onto Queens Boulevard decide that they can get through the crosswalk before I get there. On the other hand, I've seen many pedestrians doing incredibly stupid things, including a man crossing in the middle of the block, hopping the metal fences, with a baby in his arms, and an elderly person crossing against the light, in the rain, while pushing a shopping cart.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest issue is that drivers don't yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. It's a simple lesson that you learn when getting your license, but it's almost never enforced. I cross this intersection a lot with my daughter and I'm always concerned about the turns and I never stay in the middle dividers. Another intersection that is bad is 71st Road and QB. Drivers always cut off pedestrians and sometimes, they drive around other cars that do yield - which is even more dangerous as they can't see the people in front of them.
ReplyDeleteSomething needs to be done about this. I just don't know what the right venue is. Is it the local board? politician? media?
Hi, I've seen some real doozies at that same spot, Queens Blvd & Ascan Ave, even photographed at least one crash there. Its a dangerous city and this boulevard has that dark knickname, for good reason. Stay alert and be super careful! Ps-I just gave a mention and link to your blog, from my Ascan Ave blog, accessible from www.ascanavenue.com and http://ascanavenue.blogspot.com/2014/11/heres-forest-hills-nyc-blog.html?m=1
ReplyDelete