Child Struck by SUV in Bay Ridge, NY

BAY RIDGE, NY- The Brooklynreporter.com writes that the ten-year-old boy who was struck by a vehicle on Sunday, April 29, 2018, is currently in critical condition. The vehicle that hit the child was a 2015 Nissan SUV. According to State Senator Marty Golden, the boy was playing tag at the time of the accident. Golden asked that the boy and his family be kept in everyone’s thoughts and prayers. One report stated that the boy had run into the street between two parked cars and was hit.

A friend of the child ran to get help. The victim was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn for treatment of his injuries.

Charges are not expected to be filed against the driver, who remained at the site of the accident.

The number of pedestrians killed in New York City has been on the decline. Between 2016 and 2017, pedestrian fatalities in the city dropped by close to one-third. The improvements are attributed to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan, Vision Zero, which aims to drastically cut the number of traffic-related deaths within the city.

While walking in the city has been made safer, the number of people killed on bikes, motorcycles and in vehicles rose by a small margin last year, indicating there is still a lot of work to be done.

The city’s efforts include a reduction in the speed limit, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and making logistical changes to intersections and crossing signals. While accidents such as the one that happened on Sunday indicate that traffic-related tragedies have not been completely eradicated, New York’s improvements are happening at a time when traffic-related deaths have increased across the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving, particularly from people texting while behind the wheel, has led to the nationwide increase.