Following Fatal Crash, Deutsch Calls For Left-Turn Signal On Emmons Avenue
City Councilman Chaim Deutsch has called on the Department of Transportation to install a dedicated left-turn signal at the intersection of Emmons and Nostrand avenues after a horrific car crash there caused the death of a 64-year-old woman.
“I am saddened by the loss of the 64-year-old victim, and I send my prayers and sympathies to her family and friends,” Deutsch said in a statement. “I reached out to the Brooklyn Borough Commissioner of the Department of Transportation to immediately conduct a traffic study to potentially install a dedicated left-turn lane and signal in the eastbound lane of this intersection. I am committed to doing everything to prevent traffic accidents and to ensure that our streets are safe for all.”
As we reported soon after the crash, and many of our readers noted in the comments, poor visibility makes the intersection very hazardous for those turning left onto Nostrand Avenue.
The collision occurred Tuesday evening when 64-year-old Marie Beavers, driving a 2003 Toyota Camry, made a left turn onto Nostrand Avenue and was struck by a silver Lexus traveling west on Emmons Avenue, police say. It appeared that the collision tossed both cars into the northwest corner of the intersection where the Camry halted inches away from a parked white F-150 pickup.
Beavers was rushed to Coney Island Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the Lexus, an 18-year-old man, remained at the scene, according to the NYPD. He has not been charged and police continue to investigate the cause of the collision.
The DOT has already addressed similar hazards at Emmons and Bedford avenues, where they installed a left-turn signal after a string of collisions occurred at the intersection.
The agency has also promised improvements this year at several other dangerous intersections in the neighborhood. After prodding from Deutsch, the DOT began to overhaul the chaotic intersection at Coney Island and Guider avenues. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams has also partnered with the DOT to implement new safety measures for pedestrians at Avenue Z and Nostrand Avenue, where a 52-year-old woman was fatally struck by a driver while crossing the street on a mobility scooter.
