Brooklyn Pedestrian Accident
A Brooklyn Woman was Struck and Killed by a Truck While Crossing 86th Street
On January 16, 2020, the New York Post (the Post) reported about a deadly pedestrian knockdown accident that occurred on a notoriously dangerous stretch of road in Flatbush, Brooklyn. The victim’s body, according to the Post, “was split in two” after a dump truck struck her and fled the scene. The fatal hit-and-run accident happened two blocks from the woman’s home in Brooklyn.
The 67-year-old victim, Debora Mutell, was allegedly crossing 86th street near Bay Parkway in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. A private sanitation truck traveling eastbound on 86th street hit Mutell and kept driving. It is not clear whether the driver of the truck knew he or she hit the pedestrian. Investigations into the name of the sanitation company and the driver are ongoing.
Pedestrian Fatalities Spike in Recent Months
New York City ended 2019 with a slew of accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles. The New York Times reported on December 22, 2019, that in the span of 72 hours (from December 19-21), “six pedestrians were killed… in a spate of traffic crashes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.”
According to the Post, as of January 16, 2020, at least eight “pedestrians have been killed on city streets this year.” The city already considers 86th street, where Mutell was killed, to be one of the most dangerous roads in Brooklyn. There is a more than 4 mile stretch between Bay Ridge and Gravesend that was designated 2015 as a “priority corridor,” one “badly in need of pedestrian safety fixes.”
It is unclear what, if any, improvements have been made along this Brooklyn road. According to the police, as reported by CBS New York, the fatal pedestrian knock-down accidents this year have been spread across the five boroughs. They include:
- January 1, 2020 – a car fatally struck a 74-year-old trying to cross the street
- January 3, 2020 – a car which fled the scene hit and killed a 70-year-old crossing the street
- January 7, 2020 – a truck making a right turn struck and killed a 10-year-old
- January 7, 2020 – a truck hit and killed a 68-year-old crossing the street mid-block
- January 10, 2020 – a van making a right turn hit and killed an adult
- January 15, 2020 – a car making a left turn fatally struck a 67-year-old
- January 16, 2020 – a truck in Brooklyn killed a woman in a hit and run accident
Authorities Are Trying to Reduce Pedestrian Accidents
Unfortunately, these statistics indicate that pedestrian knock-down accidents continue to plague Brooklyn and the rest of New York City. The City Council has passed rules aimed at reducing the risks facing pedestrians navigating our streets. For example, there are reforms in place to limit the time private sanitation trucks are on the road. The city council is also discussing the need to have trucks equipped with sensors that allow drivers to see pedestrians when they turn.
Attempts to keep pedestrians safe from trucks, cars, and sanitation vehicles have been a priority of Mayor DeBlasio. Upon taking office, he made it the goal of his administration to reduce the number of traffic-related deaths in New York City to zero. “The recent traffic fatalities have made us even more determined to keep Vision Zero moving forward,” the mayor said in late December.
Contact our Personal Injury Lawyer in Brooklyn, if You Are Hurt in a Pedestrian Accident
After a car accident in Brooklyn is report it to the police. You might not think it is necessary but don’t make that assumption – it be important. For example, if you have no available insurance coverage and need to file a claim with MVAIC (Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnity Corporation), reporting your accident to the police within 24 hours is a requirement. Failing to do so might affect your eligibility.
If you suffered injuries in a pedestrian knockdown accident in Brooklyn, call the Law Office of Irene H. Gabo, PC. (800) 560-0214 for a free evaluation of your claim.
