The pedestrian was struck a few feet away from the faded crosswalk and pictures from the accident scene on social media may indicate that the pedestrian was using a walker. It is not clear if the garbage was driving through the intersection and was on Flatbush Avenue with the light in his favor or if he made a right turn from Atlantic Avenue onto Flatbush and both pedestrians and turning traffic had the green light when the accident occurred. In that case the truck driver should have yielded to the pedestrian. It is not clear either if the garbage truck was equipped with guardrails. The law requires that all garbage trucks above 10,000 pounds be equipped with guardrails by 2024.
The intersection remains dangerous despite structural improvements in 2018
After the accident occurred multiple people commented on social media about the danger of the intersection and complained that it was extremely dangerous for pedestrians to cross even when the light was in their favor because drivers were turning fast and not yielding to them.
Last year only, 53 crashes occurred at this particular intersection. 7 drivers, 3 pedestrians and 3 cyclists were injured in these crashes. Improvements were implemented in 2018 to make the intersection safer including bollards to protect pedestrian from cars and pedestrian islands leading to a decrease in fatalities at the intersection. Before the improvements were made 3 pedestrian died in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Among them 2 were struck by trucks.
Read more in the Brooklyn Paper