Driver fatally strikes pedestrian on North Channel Bridge
A 57-year-old driver struck a 32-year-old pedestrian near a designated parking area on the North Channel Bridge in Queens on March 30, 2023, with the official crash record placing the collision at 2:23 a.m.
Location reported in Open Data.
What We Know
Police accounts reported by QNS and Streetsblog said the 57-year-old driver was heading north when he struck the 32-year-old man near a designated parking area. The official record places the crash at 2:23 a.m. on March 30, 2023, while QNS reported police received a call around 2:30 a.m. QNS said the pedestrian was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center after EMS transported him there; reports differ on his movement, with the official record describing travel along the roadway with traffic and news accounts describing a crossing. Police reported no arrests, and the driver remained at the scene.
Reports differ about how the pedestrian was moving.
Police accounts reported by QNS and Streetsblog said the northbound driver struck the man near a designated parking area. QNS reported that he was crossing east to west, and Streetsblog also described him as crossing the span. The official record instead describes the pedestrian as traveling along the roadway with traffic.
The official record places the crash at 2:23 a.m. on March 30, 2023. QNS reported police received a call around 2:30 a.m. and said EMS transported the man to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The bridge connects Howard Beach and Broad Channel.
The official record places the collision at Cross Bay Boulevard and North Channel Bridge. QNS identifies the span as the Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge, formerly North Channel Bridge, connecting Howard Beach and Broad Channel. Police placed the pedestrian near a designated parking area.
Reports describe the vehicle at different levels of detail.
QNS identified the vehicle as a 2018 Honda CR-V. The official record lists a 2018 Honda and classifies its type as a station wagon or sport utility vehicle; it records the driver traveling north and going straight.
Police reported no arrests as the investigation continued.
QNS reported that the driver was uninjured and remained at the scene. Police said no arrests had been made and the investigation was ongoing; Streetsblog also reported that police had issued no summonses.
The reporting also raised broader road-safety concerns.
Streetsblog reported that records linked to the plate associated with the Honda showed 27 speeding tickets since 2019, including 11 from March 11, 2022, through March 10, 2023. That plate history does not establish who was driving during those earlier incidents or the driver's speed in this crash.
Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers called for a review of safety infrastructure and road design along the corridor. Families for Safe Streets member Denyze Gary offered condolences and urged lawmakers to give New York City more authority to set speed limits, Streetsblog reported.