In response to the tragedy in Fort Greene this morning, where a 7-year-old child was struck and killed by a truck driver, PHNDC has issued the following statement:

“There was a horrific crash in Fort Greene this morning that took the life of a 7-year-old child. We are devastated for this family and the Fort Greene community. 

“People should be able to cross the street without being killed. All our streets should be designed to protect the most vulnerable users. No one — no child headed to school, no parent picking up groceries, no grandparent going home, no neighbor navigating the street in a wheelchair, no delivery worker trying to make a living — should be at risk of losing their life due to entirely preventable traffic violence.”

“Daylighting and traffic calming designs should be implemented throughout our city — not simply reserved for streets where a high number of people have already been injured or killed. The City should not wait for another tragedy to make our streets safer.

“State law requires daylighting of every intersection, but NYC exempts itself from enforcing this law — resulting in parking right up to the crosswalk. The consequence is that drivers do not see people in the crosswalk, and that people crossing the street, especially children, cannot see oncoming traffic. Daylighting — combined with traffic calming measures such as curb extensions and traffic diverters — saves lives.

“We call on Mayor Adams to prioritize the street safety improvements DOT has proposed for neighborhoods throughout the city and speed up their implementation.”