Another person has been killed on Coney Island Avenue, after a driver struck a pedestrian who was lying on the sidewalk outside a dialysis center in Midwood early Monday, according to police.
The 49-year-old victim—whose name has not yet been released—was run over by the driver of a Honda Odyssey near the entrance to a parking garage at around 12:30 a.m. this morning. He suffered head trauma and was rushed to Maimonides Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 65-year-old driver remained on the scene and has not been charged.
An NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist it was unclear how police had determined the man was lying down prior to the crash. Speaking to Streetsblog, a police spokesperson ventured that the victim “was possibly intoxicated or possibly sleeping," but would not provide evidence supporting either claim.
The fatality is the latest in a series of recent tragedies on Coney Island Avenue, a 5.5 mile stretch of roadway that has long posed an outsized threat to both pedestrians and cyclists. Earlier this month, a teenage driver blew through a red light while speeding down the corridor, smashing into another car that struck and killed 52-year-old cyclist Jose Alzorriz and injured another pedestrian.
Safe streets advocates had already renewed calls for more substantial traffic-calming measures on the dangerous street, after a 49-year-old woman was killed while crossing at the intersection of Coney Island Avenue and Church Street in July.
In response to the fatalities, the city announced plans last week to add conventional bike lanes to Coney Island Avenue, along with new pedestrian islands, left-turn calming treatments and pedestrian-friendly signal timers. Mayor Bill de Blasio also directed the NYPD to step up enforcement of reckless drivers.
Despite the Department of Transportation identifying the street as a priority corridor in 2015, the rate of pedestrians killed or severely injured on the street has actually increased in recent years. In the last twelve months alone, there have been 578 crashes on the street. Advocates say that the city's latest improvement plan does not go far enough.
A petition launched earlier this month to fully redesign Coney Island Avenue—adding parking protected bike lanes and automated enforcement mechanisms, among other measures—has garnered nearly 5,000 signatures.
Asked to comment on this most recent fatality, a spokesperson for the Mayor's Office sent Gothamist a comment identical to the one shared following Alzorriz's death: “This was a heartbreaking tragedy, and we’re taking action to make this corridor safer for everyone. Starting immediately you’ll see enhanced NYPD enforcement of reckless driving, while DOT accelerates the installation of nearby bike lanes and other safety measures. We will not rest until we reach Vision Zero.”
According to data maintained by the NYPD, traffic fatalities citywide are up more than 25 percent compared to this time last year.
