New Year's Brings Sad Reality as Pedestrians Fall Prey to Hit-and-Run Drivers
Two tragic incidents have marred the start of the new year in New York City, where two pedestrians were killed by hit-and-run drivers just days after transportation officials celebrated a historic drop in traffic deaths. The first fatality occurred on New Year's Day at around 1 a.m., when a driver struck an 68-year-old man crossing Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. Authorities confirmed that the victim had crossed against the pedestrian signal, but no arrest has been made as the suspect fled the scene.
Tragically, another two pedestrians were killed in separate incidents within hours, with one of them being thrown into a parked vehicle and pinned underneath by the SUV's driver while crossing the street in Corona, Queens. The 24-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while his companion suffered critical injuries.
The shocking incidents come just as city transportation officials basked in the glory of a record-breaking year for fewest traffic deaths since records began in 1910. In 2025, the city logged 205 fatalities, a decline of 19% from 253 in 2024 and one fewer than the previous low set in 2018.
However, the devastating reality on New Year's Day serves as a stark reminder that there is still much work to be done in eradicating traffic deaths. While pedestrian deaths specifically declined by 111 compared to 122 in 2024, the Vision Zero initiative's overall goal of eliminating traffic deaths entirely remains an elusive dream.
The city's transportation department has been credited with continued progress under the Vision Zero initiative, including improved street redesigns, expanded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and targeted enforcement. However, as Mayor Vincent Barone pointed out, "No loss of life on our streets is acceptable," and efforts will continue to be doubled down upon to make the city's streets safer.
The investigations into both incidents remain ongoing, but the senseless loss of two lives serves as a stark reminder that more work needs to be done to prevent such tragedies.
Two tragic incidents have marred the start of the new year in New York City, where two pedestrians were killed by hit-and-run drivers just days after transportation officials celebrated a historic drop in traffic deaths. The first fatality occurred on New Year's Day at around 1 a.m., when a driver struck an 68-year-old man crossing Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. Authorities confirmed that the victim had crossed against the pedestrian signal, but no arrest has been made as the suspect fled the scene.
Tragically, another two pedestrians were killed in separate incidents within hours, with one of them being thrown into a parked vehicle and pinned underneath by the SUV's driver while crossing the street in Corona, Queens. The 24-year-old victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while his companion suffered critical injuries.
The shocking incidents come just as city transportation officials basked in the glory of a record-breaking year for fewest traffic deaths since records began in 1910. In 2025, the city logged 205 fatalities, a decline of 19% from 253 in 2024 and one fewer than the previous low set in 2018.
However, the devastating reality on New Year's Day serves as a stark reminder that there is still much work to be done in eradicating traffic deaths. While pedestrian deaths specifically declined by 111 compared to 122 in 2024, the Vision Zero initiative's overall goal of eliminating traffic deaths entirely remains an elusive dream.
The city's transportation department has been credited with continued progress under the Vision Zero initiative, including improved street redesigns, expanded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and targeted enforcement. However, as Mayor Vincent Barone pointed out, "No loss of life on our streets is acceptable," and efforts will continue to be doubled down upon to make the city's streets safer.
The investigations into both incidents remain ongoing, but the senseless loss of two lives serves as a stark reminder that more work needs to be done to prevent such tragedies.
. how can u just leave someone lying on the ground like they meant nothing? and the fact that 2 ppl got killed in separate incidents just days after traffic deaths dropped is just crazy 
. we need to do better, city officials have been making progress with street redesigns and infrastructure but it's not enough 
. more needs to be done to hold ppl accountable for their actions 
.
... wait, no I mean what's wrong with these people? If they can't even control their speed and make simple decisions on the road, how can we expect them to navigate a complex city like this? 
I'm all for zero traffic deaths, but is it really possible to eradicate accidents entirely? 
On the other hand, what if drivers are just plain stupid? We can't just expect them to be perfect every time 
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More money spent on infrastructure and enforcement, that's for sure. Do the benefits outweigh the costs? 
. It's crazy to me how much we've made progress with Vision Zero and all, but at the same time, we still got two more people who lost their lives on our watch 
. And it's not just about the stats, it's about the human cost. These families are gonna be living with this pain for a long time. It makes me wonder if we're doing enough to prevent these incidents, or if we're just treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause 
. The city's making progress, but it's like they say - "no loss of life on our streets is acceptable" 
gotta keep pushin' for that zero vision goal tho 
what's with the lack of arrest in one of these cases though?! it's just so frustrating 
. And it's not just about the victims themselves, but also their families who have to deal with this kind of senseless loss. I'm all for improved street redesigns and expanded pedestrian infrastructure 
. We need to keep pushing for safer streets, but we also need to hold people accountable when they're involved in these kinds of incidents 
ugh why r we still havin hit n run incidents in 2025? it's crazy 2 think dat just days ago, transportation officials were celebratin a record low in traffic deaths. 205 fatalities is stil way too high, especially when u got cities like NYC where ppl can afford 2 do better 4 themselves. i feel 4 the victims & their families 
. we need 2 keep pushin 2 make streets safer 4 everyone, not just a select few. 
. It's like they think they can just drive away and not face the consequences. The Vision Zero initiative is making progress, but it feels like we're taking two steps forward and one step back with these incidents. 205 traffic deaths in 2025? That's still way too high imo. I'm glad the city is stepping up enforcement and improving infrastructure, but more needs to be done to hold people accountable for their actions on the road. It's just not right that we're celebrating a record low number of traffic deaths one day and mourning another senseless loss of life the next 
, can we just take a step back for a sec? 2 people dead in NY City on New Year's Day and everyone's still celebrating the "record-breaking" low number of traffic deaths 
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. It's crazy how 2 people lost their lives in such short span... just wish that no one had to suffer like this