Safe Streets Group Blames DOT for Fatal Bay Parkway Crash

A 30-year-old woman died after being struck by a city garbage truck in southern Brooklyn, and safe streets advocates say the crash was a predictable result of incomplete road safety upgrades. Siobhan Lynch was killed on Wednesday at the intersection of Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue in Bath Beach. Transportation Alternatives argues that the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) failed to install critical pedestrian protections at the site as part of its ongoing corridor redesign.

The advocacy group stated that the intersection was the second most dangerous location on Bay Parkway between 2020 and 2024. During that four-year period, the DOT recorded 41 injuries at the crossing. Bay Parkway is designated as a Priority Corridor under the city’s Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Despite these statistics, the group claims the DOT’s 2024 project plan did not include specific safety features for this particular junction.

Ben Furnas, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives, said that street redesigns should be driven by crash data. He noted that the agency redesigned the streets but left one of their most dangerous intersections without adequate protection. Furnas described the tragedy as predictable and preventable, stating that the city owes it to New Yorkers to ensure such incidents do not recur. He emphasized that the extensive crash history of the Cropsey Avenue and Bay Parkway intersection makes it a focal point for safety improvements.

Michelle Deme, a spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives, explained that the DOT’s initial plan for the project, released in 2024, did not indicate that the intersection would receive pedestrian-protective enhancements. The current construction, which began earlier this month, adds median islands and painted curb extensions to both roads. However, Deme argued that the absence of these features at the specific corner where Lynch was hit left pedestrians exposed. The group concluded that the DOT’s omission contributed directly to the fatal outcome.

The DOT disputed the characterization that the intersection was left unsafe. Vincent Barone, a DOT spokesperson, stated that the agency is adding a painted curb extension to the northeast corner of the intersection. This feature is designed to shorten crossing distances for pedestrians and slow vehicle speeds. Barone also pointed to offset and curbside bus lanes being installed along both Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue, which he said will enhance safety for all road users. He noted that the redesign aims to make buses faster while protecting New Yorkers.

Deme countered the DOT’s position by noting that the single curb extension is located on the opposite side of the street from where Lynch was struck. She stated that a single painted feature on the far corner would not have saved the victim’s life. Deme urged the DOT to implement more comprehensive safety improvements beyond paint to protect pedestrians at this high-risk location and others along the corridor. She welcomed the additional improvements but maintained that the intersection requires more substantial changes.

Police reported that Lynch was crossing from the southwest to the southeast corner of Bay Parkway when she was hit around 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday. The 41-year-old male driver was making a right turn from Cropsey Avenue onto Bay Parkway when the collision occurred. Lynch was thrown to the pavement and sustained severe head trauma. She was transported to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where she was pronounced dead. The driver remained at the scene, and no arrests have been made.

The NYPD’s Highway District Collision Investigation Squad is currently investigating the incident. Vincent Gragnani, a spokesperson for the Department of Sanitation, said the department is assisting the police with their inquiry. He expressed condolences to the victim’s family and described the event as a terrible tragedy. The investigation continues as authorities review the circumstances of the crash and the role of the ongoing street redesign.