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After Vision Zero record in 2025, new year begins with 2 pedestrians killed in traffic
By
Ryan Kost
Published Jan 3, 2026
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CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
By
Ryan Kost
Published Jan 3, 2026
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Two pedestrians have been killed by hit-and-run drivers to start the new year, just as city transportation officials touted a historic drop in traffic deaths in 2025.
The first deadly crash came just before 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day, when a driver struck a 68-year-old man crossing Linden Boulevard at Ashford Street in East New York, Brooklyn according to police. The man, whose name was not immediately released, was crossing against the pedestrian signal, police said.
Emergency medical workers took the man to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, where he died.
The driver left the scene and no arrests have been made, according to police.
Only hours later, two other men were struck in a separate incident by the driver of a white SUV while crossing the street in Corona, Queens. One man was hit so hard he was thrown into a parked vehicle and pinned underneath. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The 24-year-old man walking with him was taken to Elmhurst Hospital in critical condition.
That driver, too, fled the scene.
The deadly crashes occurred just as the city’s transportation department celebrated 2025 for the fewest traffic deaths since record-keeping began in 1910. The city logged 205 fatalities in all, a 19% decline from 253 in 2024 and one fewer than the previous low set in 2018.
Traffic deaths in the city have fallen about 31% overall since the transportation department launched its Vision Zero initiative in 2014, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths entirely. Pedestrian deaths specifically declined as well — 111 in 2025 compared with 122 in 2024.
Total traffic injuries and serious traffic injuries also trended down. Though the department is still processing data for the full year, as of Dec. 15, total injuries were down 7.7% and serious injuries were down 2.8%.
City officials credited the decline to continued Vision Zero initiatives, including street redesigns, expanded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and targeted enforcement.
"No loss of life on our streets is acceptable, and our thoughts are with the victims’ families and loved ones," transportation department spokesperson Vincent Barone said. "We will be doubling down to make our streets safer and better protect all New Yorkers, whether they are walking, biking, or in a car.”
Both cases remain under investigation, police said.
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new york city
transportation
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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