NYC Pedestrian killed by car backing out of a driveway

A pedestrian died after being rolled over by a car backing out of a driveway in NYC. The accident occurred at 30-23 69th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens around 6:15 pm on February 2nd. The driver of a Honda backed out of his driveway, struck a 57 year old man who was standing on the sidewalk and rolled over him.  The man was rushed to the hospital but he could not be saved. His identity was not released by the police. The victim is the first pedestrian to die in a car accident in February 2020. Last month 14 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in New York City: 5 in Brooklyn, 5 in Queens, 2 in the Bronx and 2 in Manhattan.

The driver whose identity wasn’t released either, stayed at the scene of the accident and was not charged.

Drivers must exercise due care while backing out of a driveway especially when it is dark outside

In New York City it is quite common for cars to cross a sidewalk when backing out of a driveway. The visibility is often reduced therefore someone driving out of a driveway must exercise caution and drive slowly.  Most backing out accidents do not result in deaths but mostly in injuries.  In this case the driver might not have exercised due care and backed out too fast from the driveway. The accident occurred at a time when the streets where already dark and the driver should have exercised extra caution before crossing the sidewalk. Read more in Street Blog

In New York, fall and winter are the most dangerous seasons for pedestrians and cyclists. Since Vision Zero started in 2014, the annual campaign “Dusk and Darkness” reminds drivers that pedestrians and cyclists are less visible at night and that New york City drivers should exercise extra caution while driving at night.

A similar accident occurred last year in Brooklyn. A driver baking out of his driveway on Marine Park killed 85-year-old Stella Clinton. The driver was initially charged with failure to yield but his case was dropped by the Brooklyn prosecutors.

Picture of the location of the pedestrian accident: courtesy of Google Map

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