Councilman Calls For Changes At Dangerous Intersection After Boy Is Struck
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A dangerous intersection has now been the site of a frightening accident in Queens, in which a boy was hit by a van while trying to cross the street.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, local leaders want changes made.
"It's an incredibly dangerous intersection," said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-26th).
Van Bramer was talking about the intersection of 29th Street and 39th Avenue in Long Island City, Queens.
Just last week, surveillance cameras captured video of a young boy trying to cross the street. He carefully steps out in the roadway watching for oncoming traffic, but despite taking every precaution to be safe, he is sideswiped by a large van taking the turn.
"It was just scary to see it, knowing it could have been so much worse," Van Bramer said.
Residents in the area said they often see accidents.
"Just about two weeks ago, my uncle got into an accident here as well," said Evelyn Quinn.
"There's a lot of accidents happen right there on the corner," said Alberto Rodriguez.
According to city traffic records, there were seven accidents at the intersection between January and November 2015. None of them resulted in any injuries or deaths.
Van Bramer said he has implored the Department of Transportation to make changes for the last several years, but to no avail.
"Saying that they had studied the intersection and that it was safe, and that some of the suggestions we made were not practical," he said.
When asked what specifically needs to change at the intersection, Van Bramer said: "We need a four-way stop sign at a minimum. We also suggest a stoplight – there are few, if any, markings on the streets."
A DOT representative told CBS2 that, "while this location did not meet the criteria for an all-way stop, we are exploring other options."