Fatal Crash in Brooklyn has Pedestrians Demanding Changes at Busy Intersection

A fatal crash on a busy Greenpoint street has sparked demands that the city make changes to the neighborhood’s busiest and most dangerous intersection. The death of Solange Raulston on December 13, 2009 has shown the risk of crossing at the intersection of McGuinness Boulevard and Nassau Avenue. Ms. Raulston was on her bicycle going west on Nassau Avenue when a truck driving in the same direction sideswiped her.

Accident tracker Transportation Alternatives said that were 34 crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists from 1995-2005 at Nassau Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard, which made it the most dangerous intersection in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The intersection is dangerous because it is the meeting point of cars and trucks speeding down McGuinness Boulevard with a large number of pedestrians walking down the busy Nassau Avenue.

According to the New York City Department of Transportation, there were accidents involving 14 pedestrians, including one deadly crash last year. According to the New York Daily News, the city will begin reconstructing Nassau Avenue next year in a project that will improve safety by shortening the distance it takes to cross the street. Auto accident lawyers think that safety should be the top priority.