Crash At ‘Crazy’ Midwood Intersection; Locals Point To New Median

On Sunday evening May 21, an elderly couple was struck by a car at Coney Island Avenue and Avenue O in Midwood around 7pm, neighbors said.

Eye witnesses told BKLYNER that they saw two elderly women get hit by a car turning onto Coney Island Avenue, while they were crossing Avenue O from the median. “They practically walked right into the car,” said a man who works at a shop nearby, but wished to remain anonymous.

Cops said the incident didn’t prompt a collision investigation, which indicates that the injuries weren’t life-threatening.

“One of the women was bleeding from her head and screaming,” said the shop employee.

He sounded nonchalant when relaying this news, but he’s been desensitized by the flood of collisions he sees “all the time”, citing an incident three months ago where a driver “flew down the sidewalk” and crashed into a bike rack; and another incident where two smart cars collided.

Since 2009, there have been 91 injuries resulting from car crashes at the intersection of Coney Island Avenue and Avenue O, according to city data.

Neighbor and local reporter Mike Wright calls the intersection “crazy”, filled with a constant stream of careless drivers, double parked trucks, jaywalkers, bicycles traveling in the wrong direction, and even people driving while reading. “Traffic Agents on post 5–6 days a week are not helping,” he said.

As part of Vision Zero, the Department of Transportation installed a pedestrian safety island there more than one year ago. “So far 3, vehicles crashed into it,” said Wright.

“This median is a disaster,” said the shop employee, noting that the pedestrian island creates an obstruction for emergency vehicles.