Bay Ridge 'Super Speeder' Crash Spurs Calls to Curb Reckless Driving
Street safety advocates are asking state pols to pass a stalled bill that would target reckless driving.
A Brooklyn bus in 2023. Photo by Susan De Vries
by Olivia Seaman, Brooklyn Paper
A driver with a record of speeding violations crashed into an MTA bus in Bay Ridge early Tuesday morning, causing street safety advocates to call on state legislators to pass a stalled bill that would target reckless driving.
According to the NYPD, the collision occurred at about 1:30 a.m. near Bay Ridge Avenue and Ridge Boulevard. Police said a 26-year-old male was operating a Honda Accord driving southbound on Ridge Boulevard when he “slammed” into a bus heading west on Bay Ridge Avenue.
Transportation Alternatives, a group dedicated to “reclaiming New York City from cars,” said the impact “caused the bus to jump the curb and crash into a building.” Police said the bus operator was not injured, but the driver was transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn with minor injuries. Police said he is in stable condition.
The group also stated that the driver had received “16 speed camera tickets and one red light camera ticket in 12 months,” reigniting conversations about the Stop Super Speeders Act, which was authored by Brooklyn State Senator Andrew Gounardes.
The act, which the state Senate passed in June, would “require the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices if a driver accumulates eleven or more points on their driving record during 24 months, or receives six speed camera or red light camera tickets during a 12-month period.” The bill has yet to reach the Assembly.
“Super Speeders aren’t just a threat to everyone traveling around New York City; they’re also a threat to themselves,” Ben Furnas, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said. “I’m grateful that this was the rare empty MTA bus, and no one was injured when the bus hit a building.”
“While this crash could have been more catastrophic, there is still a person in the hospital today,” he continued.
Families for Safe Streets, a coalition of crash victims and survivors, also pushed lawmakers to act.
“If the Stop Super Speeders bill had already passed, this crash never would have happened,” Joe Janosko, a member of the group, said. “This morning’s incident is the perfect example of how speed limiter technology has the potential to prevent the most reckless drivers from speeding again, protecting them and everyone around them. But until the State Assembly passes the bill, more crashes like this will undoubtedly occur.”
NYPD officials also confirmed the details of the crash, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.
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Great, but this is only a half measure if they don’t start clamping down on all of the various forms of obscuring or altering license plates.