Recent severe crashes

1. Driver Kills Scooter Rider in Dyker Heights 2026-07-24T21:15:00+00:00
   Brooklyn
   A 56-year-old driver in a 2012 Toyota Sienna hit Ajpop Walter as he rode a stand-up scooter on 14th Avenue; Walter died at Maimonides Medical Center.
   Police told reporters that Ajpop Walter, 20, was riding south on 14th Avenue near 77th Street in Dyker Heights when a 56-year-old driver in a 2012 Toyota Sienna, also traveling south, hit him. Emergency medical workers took Walter to Maimonides Medical Center, where he died. The driver stayed at the scene, and reporters cited police saying no arrests had been made. News outlets disagreed on the exact time, with most placing the crash just before 5:15 p.m. or about 5:16 p.m., while the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported 2:15 p.m.
2. Dump-truck driver in fatal Crown Heights scooter collision 2026-07-21T15:00:00+00:00
   Brooklyn
   A 68-year-old dump-truck driver remained at the scene after a collision that fatally injured 45-year-old scooter rider Melba Jordan in Crown Heights, police said.
   Police said Melba Jordan, 45, was riding a standup electric scooter north on Franklin Avenue shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday when she was involved in a collision with a dump-truck driver at Pacific Street in Crown Heights. The Daily News reported the driver was a 68-year-old man in a 2007 Peterbilt dump truck who was southbound and turning right onto Pacific Street. News12 reported surveillance video showed the driver in a red dump truck turning toward the intersection moments before the collision, followed by bystanders rushing toward Jordan. Medics took Jordan to a hospital in critical condition, and she later died. Police said the driver stayed at the scene. No charges or arrests had been reported, and NYPD collision investigators continued to investigate.
3. Drivers Collide; 67-Year-Old Man Dies on Crown Heights Sidewalk 2026-07-18T19:00:00+00:00
   Brooklyn
   Police said a 48-year-old Toyota driver hit a Hyundai driver at St. Marks and Franklin avenues; the impact pushed the Hyundai onto the sidewalk, killing a 67-year-old man.
   A 67-year-old man died after a chain-reaction crash at St. Marks and Franklin avenues in Crown Heights on July 18, 2026. The Daily News, citing police, reported that a 48-year-old man driving a Toyota Highlander east on St. Marks Avenue hit a Hyundai Palisade driver heading north on Franklin Avenue, pushing the Hyundai onto the sidewalk and into the pedestrian. Hoodline reported a different account, saying both drivers were southbound on Franklin Avenue and identifying the Hyundai driver as 32. News 12 reported that sources said the Hyundai driver ran a red light. Reporters said both drivers stayed at the scene, no arrests had been made, and detectives continued investigating.
4. Driver on East Flatbush Sidewalk Killed Yvette James 2026-07-17T17:20:00+00:00
   Brooklyn
   A woman driving a Lexus went onto the sidewalk at Rutland Road and East 92nd Street and killed Yvette James, a nearby food-pantry volunteer.
   Yvette James was on a sidewalk near Rutland Road and East 92nd Street on Friday afternoon when a woman driving a Lexus RX 350 turned at the corner, went onto the sidewalk and hit her, according to police accounts reported by local outlets. Reports gave James' age as 79 or 80. Witnesses and neighbors described her as a longtime food-pantry volunteer who lived nearby. Several accounts said the driver was turning from Rutland Road onto East 92nd Street, while the Daily News reported police as saying the turn was from East 92nd Street onto Rutland Road. Witnesses said the driver was speeding and that James was pinned against a wall and dragged. Police said the driver remained at the scene, and outlets reported no charge or arrest as the investigation continued.
5. Driver Fatally Runs Over Man at Brooklyn Carting Garage 2026-07-08T08:55:00+00:00
   Brooklyn
   A 58-year-old driver backing a garbage truck into an East New York carting garage ran over Franklin Torres, 54, who died later at Brookdale.
   Police told the Daily News that Franklin Torres was inside a private carting facility on Stanley Avenue near Berriman Street in East New York at about 4:55 a.m. Wednesday when a 58-year-old driver backed a 2024 Freightliner garbage truck into the building and ran him over. Medics took Torres to Brookdale University Hospital, where he died later that day. Police said the driver remained at the scene, the investigation was continuing, and no arrests had been made as of Sunday. Interstate Waste Services said it was cooperating with investigators and offered condolences to Torres's family, friends, and loved ones.