Brad Aaron
Brad Aaron began writing for Streetsblog in 2007, after years as a reporter, editor, and publisher in the alternative weekly business. Brad adopted New York's dysfunctional traffic justice system as his primary beat for Streetsblog. He lives in Manhattan.
Recent Posts
NYPD: Not Even a Ticket for Truck Driver Who Killed LES Pedestrian
| | 9 Comments
We have more details on the August 9 crash that killed a pedestrian on the Lower East Side, though many of them conflict with information previously provided by NYPD. According to a witness account first published by Bowery Boogie, the victim was crossing Allen Street at Stanton Street at around 10 p.m. when she was […]
Thackoo Hargobin Killed by School Bus Driver in Queens, No Charges Filed
| | 9 Comments
A man was struck and killed by the driver of a yellow school bus while loading a truck in Queens yesterday. Thackoo “Tony” Hargobin was struck on Borough Place in Woodside at approximately 8:32 a.m., as he was securing bags of cement to the back of a flatbed, according to reports. He died at the […]
NYPD Says It’s Not Investigating Lower East Side Pedestrian Death
| | 8 Comments
An unidentified woman was struck and killed by a truck driver on the Lower East Side earlier this month in a collision that NYPD is reportedly not investigating. The victim was crossing Allen Street at Stanton Street at around 10 p.m. on August 9 when the light turned and she was struck by the driver […]
An Open Letter to Daily News Deputy Editor Arthur Browne
| | 16 Comments
We noticed you’ve taken an interest in traffic injuries lately. This is a welcome development. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers are hurt in traffic every year, many of them seriously. Well over 200 are killed annually. Most of these crashes get little to no attention from police, much less the media. So it’s encouraging […]
ID Theft Gets More Resources From Cy Vance Than Traffic Crime [Updated]
| | 12 Comments
If you’ve suffered a life-altering injury, or even lost a loved one, at the hands of a negligent New York City driver, there usually isn’t much the authorities can do for you. To hear NYPD tell it, the department barely has the resources to investigate traffic deaths, let alone the thousands of pedestrian and cyclist […]
Myth: DWI Killers Should Expect Severe Penalties in New York State
| | 6 Comments
When a Long Island judge last month acquitted a drunk driver of manslaughter on the grounds that the pedestrian he struck was also intoxicated, the decision sparked shock and outrage. But the case of Robert Core was only the latest in which an area motorist all but escaped punishment for killing while under the influence. […]
Canarsie Pedestrian Luis Ruiz, 81, Killed Near Site of Fatal 2010 Crash
| | 4 Comments
An 81-year-old man was fatally struck by two drivers on Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie on Friday, less than a block from where a teenager was killed by a motorist in 2010. According to reports, Luis Ruiz was crossing the street at Avenue J at around 8:57 p.m. when he was hit by the driver of […]
Cyclist Seriously Injured on Queensboro Bridge Bike Approach [Updated]
| | 16 Comments
A cyclist was seriously hurt in a Thursday morning crash when he was struck by a motorist, on or near the bike path that leads to the Queensboro Bridge. The crash happened near Queens Plaza South and 29th Street at approximately 7:28 a.m. The victim, a 31-year-old male, suffered head trauma and was taken to […]
Study: Taxpayer-Backed NBA Arenas Don’t Help Local Economies
| | No Comments
Over the last few decades, sports franchise owners have been hugely successful in convincing governments to give them money in the form of taxpayer-funded stadiums and arenas. A favored approach is to threaten to pull up stakes and move a team, and its attendant economic benefits, to another city. Though taxpayers are often left holding […]
Cyclist Killed by Cabbie in East Harlem Identified as Shaquille Cochrane
| | 2 Comments
The cyclist struck and killed by a yellow cab driver in East Harlem late last month has been identified by NYPD as Shaquille Cochrane. On July 30 at approximately 7:50 p.m., Cochrane was hit at E. 108th Street and Park Avenue. Accounts of the crash vary, but according to NYPD, Cochrane was riding westbound on E. […]
Greeks Turn to Bikes to Weather Economic Storm
| | No Comments
Today on the Network, Reno Rambler links to a Reuters story, via the Huffington Post, on how economic upheaval in Greece has led to a dramatic shift in how many get around. Thousands of Greeks are turning to bikes to help weather the crisis, and while unemployment is at 20 percent, the bike business is […]
Alberto Serrano Killed in Brooklyn, Driver Charged With Manslaughter
| | 8 Comments
A driver has been charged with manslaughter and homicide for the hit-and-run death of a Brooklyn pedestrian. Police say Alberto Serrano, 31, was struck down by Javier Hernandez on 51st Street at Third Avenue, a few blocks from Serrano’s home in Sunset Park, at around 7 p.m. Monday. Serrano, a husband and father of two […]