Two pedestrians were injured in a truck accident in New York City last Friday. An out of control refrigerated box truck delivering produce jumped the curb at 86th Street and Bay 34th Street in Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NYC. It crashed into a Malaysian restaurant window. As it jumped the curb, it struck a 20-year-old pedestrian. The driver then backed the truck up striking a 24-year-old woman and damaging a parked car then hit a subway pillar. The driver then tried to flee the scene of the accident on foot but the police caught him and he was taken into custody.
The two pedestrians who were injured were taken to the hospital. The 20-year-old pedestrian is in critical condition and still fighting for his life. The 24-year-old woman suffered a head injury but she is in stable condition.
Surge in truck accidents in New York City over the last 3 years
According to statistics (click on graph below for full size), truck accidents in New York City have reached record highs during the recent years and May is one of the worst months for truck accidents. A year ago, in May 2018, there were 1689 truck accidents reported to the NYPD compared to 1665 in May 2017 and 1723 in May 2016. Before 2016 the number of truck accidents occurring during the month of May was contained below 800. Between May 2015 and May 2016 the number of truck accidents more than doubled. Two factors may explain this exponential increase in truck accidents: the boom in the construction industry and the boom in online shopping have led to a surge in commercial truck traffic in the city and as a result more people are being hurt in truck accidents. Trucks are especially dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists. Recently a bicyclist lost his leg after being struck by a UPS truck near the Hudson Yards (see previous blog).
