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July 9, 2009

Another Crash on Waverly

This just in from a reader...there's been another crash on Waverly Avenue in Clinton Hill, this time at the corner of Dekalb. (There was another crash at the corner of Willoughby last month.) "Cars continue to careen down Waverly like the Indy 500 blowing all the stop signs," writes the tipster. Time for some stop lights, isn't it?

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jeezus, how effing fast do you need to be going down a narrow street to manage to flip your car?! i thought it takes both speed AND being turned at least a 45 degree angle to the direction of travel to flip.

someone who can cause this must be wreckless enough to warrant some good jail time. public caning even.

Posted by: goldie at July 9, 2009 11:12 AM

for idiots driving like this, stop lights won't stop them - only jail time or killed-in-action does

Posted by: more4less at July 9, 2009 11:14 AM

maybe they were trying to get away from a carjacker? Waverly is ground zero for muggings in CH (though the Clinton/Washington G stop is good place to give up your iPhone.)

Posted by: Art Salt at July 9, 2009 11:15 AM

Hilarious, wish I was on the scene so I could point and laugh at driver.

Posted by: DeLepp at July 9, 2009 11:20 AM

Are the cars blowing through stop signs car services or regular drivers?

Posted by: mopar at July 9, 2009 11:20 AM

Why are stop lights the answer??!!

How about traffic enforcement? The NYPD don't do it. You can do almost anything in this city -- next to a cop -- and you won't be stopped.

Ridiculous.

Posted by: tybur6 at July 9, 2009 11:22 AM

What does society owe for medical care to young men who paralyze themselves in moving vehicle accidents?

Posted by: infinitejester at July 9, 2009 11:28 AM

I agree with tybur6. If NYPD actually enforced traffic rules - speeding and running redlights - most people would slow down. It has always boggled my mind that they don't do it. The only thing stop lights will do is cause people to speed up to make the yellow or run the red.

Posted by: djch at July 9, 2009 11:31 AM

mopar,

it's all types of cars speeding down Waverly, not just car service cars

Posted by: CHAOCguy at July 9, 2009 11:32 AM

I drive & walk on waverly all the time and rarely see any speeding. Guess I'm lucky on my timing & have avoided these idiots

Posted by: more4less at July 9, 2009 11:38 AM

This accident actually happened Tuesday evening... It was quite the scene and I really couldn't figure out how a car could get flipped and spun around the way that it was.

Cops rarely enforce speeding along this section of Dekalb - even though it's 3 blocks from the police statino. If you happen to get a green light at St. James/Hall it means no stops between Classon and Washington. Cars can really pick up speed.

Posted by: kimmc at July 9, 2009 11:38 AM

As a parent who walks down this street with my kids some times I have to say that something definitely needs to be done about the way people use Waverly as a highspeed short cut. Such a small street for that kind of recklessness.

Posted by: wasder at July 9, 2009 11:39 AM

speed bumps all around, thats what we need. You need to physically slow cars, not just expect them to stick to non-enforced rules. I am car driver before I get accused of being automobilist.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 9, 2009 11:41 AM

as mentioned above, a ticketing bliz would get the word out and end this

Posted by: more4less at July 9, 2009 11:41 AM

I live on Dekalb, and sometimes I'll just sit on my stoop watching what these cars get away with - absolutely ridiculous. Music blasting, blowing through red lights, speeding around cars in the bike lane. No regard for pedestrians or other drivers. If the NYPD enforced traffic laws on Dekalb alone they'd make a fortune.

Posted by: kjp216 at July 9, 2009 11:43 AM

I agree with the law enforcement ideas. For a city that enjoys collecting revenue from parking tickets, I don't understand why criminal and potentially deadly acts like blowing through stop signs and red lights go largely unpunished. For an intersection like Dean and Boerum Place, where I have witnessed at least three pedestrians hit by cars over the past few years, I would think the city could collect some hefty fines by doling out tickets to the cars that use Dean St as an autobahn to Park Slope and beyond, and maybe save some lives in the process.

Posted by: obsessedwithhats at July 9, 2009 11:48 AM

that is just Ghetto

Posted by: brickoven at July 9, 2009 11:55 AM

I'm not a fan of stop lights: people see a green light and it is green, no matter how many small children are still making their way across the intersection.

We need traffic enforcement and physical traffic calming, like neckdowns at the intersection that force traffic to slow down.

And ... this looks like an SUV, no? Aren't they famously easy to flip?

Posted by: serpentor at July 9, 2009 12:13 PM

I cross Waverly twice a day on my bicycle (once on Dekalb and once on Willoughby) and have to say this definitely freaks me out. In particular, I caution all of my friends about Waverly and Willoughby (because the bike lane is closer to oncoming traffic), but both are dangerous. ALWAYS slow and check for traffic when you bike across these intersections. I've been glad I did several times before.

Posted by: Stiggaman at July 9, 2009 12:22 PM

I live on that corner and was at home when it happened. As best as I can tell, a gypsy cab was coming down dekalb and clipped the front end of the SUV as it was heading south on waverly.

That flipped the SUV onto it's side and it slid down and hit the silver car parked on the corner.

And for all of you who were asking, both drivers seemed to be OK.

Posted by: kedalb at July 9, 2009 12:35 PM

Go Here...

http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mailnypd.html

And send a message to the Commissioner of the NYPD that traffice violation ENFORCEMENT needs to happen!!

It's easy to type a note. Enough of them, and they'll start to get the message.

Posted by: tybur6 at July 9, 2009 12:51 PM

Speeding traffic on DeKalb is biggest problem. Pulling out from Waverly has become easier since parking on the north side of DeKalb was eliminated, but the right lane of DeKalb has become a speed zone.

Prevailing traffic speed in DeKalb's middle and left lanes (the bike lane gets frequent rush hour car traffic) is usually modest but cars fly down the right hand lane passing slower traffic when there's a red light at Clinton backing cars up east to Hall St. or further.

One solution would be curbs that enter the street, like on Lafayette and Adelphi. Another solution would be ridges or cobblestones in the right hand lane on DeKalb, which wouldn't impede bus traffic at all but would prohibit high speeds in other vehicles.

Another way to cut down Waverly accidents would be making Waverly one way in the opposite direction for a block or two, so there's no thru traffic from Park Ave. to Atlantic.

Posted by: Stonergut at July 9, 2009 12:58 PM

Thanks for the sarcasm kedalb. To continue your theme, we're all very concerned about those who treat driving cars like its a video game and the lives of those around them as instantly replenishable.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 9, 2009 1:01 PM

Ya dittoburg. It's frogger every morning : /

Posted by: Stonergut at July 9, 2009 1:08 PM

A lot of SUVs in the neighborhood drive very fast

Posted by: Dora Chica at July 9, 2009 1:22 PM

Nice pants. Grown men in little boy clothes = Douchebags= Assholes who drive too fast in their SUV with the bass pumping=Fuckin NYC rednecks.

Posted by: billyboomer at July 9, 2009 1:29 PM

Doesn't anyone else think the fireman on the left in the top photo is hot?

billy...it's the black socks with the pants that makes him ridiculous looking!!!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 9, 2009 1:44 PM

Dora Chica, the largest group of offenders I've seen have been car service sedans. They're often the cars speeding down Waverly and also the cars speeding around to pass DeKalb traffic on the right.

Although I'm no fan of SUVs, I don't think they can be blamed as the greatest speeders.

Posted by: Stonergut at July 9, 2009 2:06 PM

The problem with many of the car service guys is that they grew up in a foreign country herding goats or something until they were well into their twenties or thirties. They only started driving oncce they got here and they probably learned in NJ.

Most of us born here, especially my age, have been driving since we were 16 and know much better how to "connect with the road" and control a vehicle. Ever notice how these numbskulls can never anticipate the traffic more than one car ahead of them. Christ almighty.

Let's get a count randi, of how many people I've offended with that post.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 9, 2009 2:31 PM

You're wrong, Dave. The problem with most car service guys in New York is that they are experienced cabdrivers.

Experienced, in Karachi.

Posted by: WonTon at July 9, 2009 2:43 PM

DIBS, you could've of made a gratuitous reference to women drivers to fill your full quota of offense.

Posted by: dittoburg at July 9, 2009 2:45 PM

TRUE STORY - I was driving in a cab in Greece with a friend of mine, heading down a steep hill onto a beach. The cab guy was going pretty fast down this winding hill, which was pretty narrow to boot. It was scary. My friend turned to me and said, "This is just like a NYC cab ride!" The cab driver turned around and said, "One difference - I speak English."

Posted by: East New York at July 9, 2009 2:47 PM

"Most of us born here, especially my age, have been driving since we were 16 and know much better how to "connect with the road" and control a vehicle. "

Driving in wherever the hell we all grew up and driving in Manhattan/Brooklyn are a totally different beast.

Posted by: dirty_hipster at July 9, 2009 2:47 PM

I drove in Hong Kong for two years so I can handle just about anything.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 9, 2009 3:02 PM

Actually Dirty Hipster... driving in Manhattan and Brooklyn isn't that different than ANY other city in the country. I always find it funny how people exaggerate the "uniqueness" of NYC.

Yeah, it's different than a suburb or a farming village -- but it's not that different from Seattle, Boston, Providence, Washington, Philadelphia, Tampa, etc. etc. (I didn't include L.A., both because I've never driven there and I have a suspicion it is different)

Posted by: tybur6 at July 9, 2009 3:02 PM

Such a good story, ENY!

Posted by: traditionalmod at July 9, 2009 3:12 PM

Thanks, T-Mod!

Posted by: East New York at July 9, 2009 3:38 PM

Tybur6, I disagree cause those other cities dont have NJ drivers driving on those roads. It's NJ drivers (not the yellow cabs) that one needs to be aware & concerned with while driving in Manhattan.

Posted by: more4less at July 9, 2009 3:59 PM

I'll give you that, more4less.

Posted by: tybur6 at July 9, 2009 4:09 PM

"Driving in wherever the hell we all grew up and driving in Manhattan/Brooklyn are a totally different beast."

I grew up in Manhattan :-)

Posted by: denton at July 9, 2009 5:00 PM

Well then Denton... Driving in Brooklyn is TOTALLY different than driving in Manhattan. It's almost as different as driving in Boston.

Posted by: tybur6 at July 9, 2009 5:08 PM

I grew up in Philly and never learned to drive :)

However, my west coast relatives are all horrified at how aggressive everyone is on the eastern seaboard. I remember being on I-5 with a New York driver once who was having an apoplectic fit because traffic was heavy and so everyone had slowed down from 65 to -- about 45 mph. They drive differently out there.

Returning to the subject, yeah, Dekalb speeding scares me. I never notice Waverley, but I probably should, since I cross it almost everyday, small child in tow.

Posted by: Heather at July 9, 2009 6:45 PM

"The problem with many of the car service guys is that they grew up in a foreign country herding goats or something until they were well into their twenties or thirties. They only started driving oncce they got here and they probably learned in NJ.

Let's get a count randi, of how many people I've offended with that post."

Actually Dave, probably no one. If it were what or rob or myself the answer would be everyone. You command respect around here. Imagine that.

Posted by: Return of Randolph at July 9, 2009 9:34 PM

I e-mailed Tish James after an accident at Waverly & Willoughby, and her office responded right away, saying they would refer it to the DOT and advise. Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything since. So I e-mailed her again today.

Stop signs are already in place. Looks like speed bumps might be the best next step. There are plenty of pedestrians and bicyclists in the area, not to mention little kids and strollers. Something needs to be done.

Posted by: Dynomite Jimmy at July 10, 2009 12:47 PM

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July 9, 2009

Another Crash on Waverly

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