Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Hit By A Cyclist, Prospect Park Pedestrian Sues City For $3 Million
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 18, 2011
Modified Nov 18, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Garth Johnston
Published Nov 18, 2011
Modified Nov 18, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If a pedestrian is critically injured by a cyclist while walking in a park, who is at fault? The pedestrian? The cyclist? Or, perhaps, the city? That's the question raised in a new $3 million dollar lawsuit the Post reports was just filed against the city. Actress Dana Jacks says her Prospect Park collision with cyclist David Sonenberg on June 11 left her "with brain trauma and face and skull fractures that kept her hospitalized for 25 days." She's already filed suit against the biker (and he against her) and now she's turned to the city, blaming her situation on its "negligent, careless and reckless" traffic enforcement in the park.
And on one level, she does seem to have a point. This year, despite all the hoopla about the dangers of the Prospect Park West bike lane, there have been a number of nasty accidents inside the park—including at least two others where women suffered brain injuries after being struck. But her point only goes so far. Jacks (last seen in David Cromer's production of Our Town) had her accident on West Drive, which is shared by cyclists, pedestrians and drivers, as she was crossing the bike path at the intersection of Center Drive and West Lake Drive.
In addition to Jacks' suit against NYC (which City lawyers have declined to comment on) the actress is also involved in litigation with the cyclist who hit her. After spending three weeks in Kings County Hospital she sued Sonenberg in July and earlier this month he sued her back, saying that the accident was her fault, as she was walking “unlawfully outside the crosswalk.” Further he says her actions also knocked him to the ground, causing him serious injuries.
Tagged
bike accident
brooklyn
cyclist accident
cyclists
pedestrian accident
prospect park
suit
Garth Johnston
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .