Two Major Accidents Near Kingsborough
UPDATE (9:25 p.m.): It appears there were two accidents. The Manhattan Beach Community Group has reported on the incidents on its website, saying that both accidents appear to have involved Kingsborough Community College students. MBCG has been struggling to improve traffic safety on Oriental Boulevard for years, and often wrestles with the large influx of automobile commuters coming into the school. Here is their report:
In the span of one hour this afternoon there were 2 car accidents today in Manhattan Beach. Both on Oriental Blvd. First at Mackenzie St. and the other at Ocean Ave. Both occurred around 2:30 -3:00 PM.
We don’t have all the facts but we heard that pedestrians were involved and we’re lucky to some degree. We have been told that in the first accident a car leaving Kingsborough Community College going west on Oriental Blvd. may have been speeding when it tried to avoid a car coming in the opposite direction trying to make a u turn or turning into Mackenzie. 3 girls were crossing at Mackenzie St. and may have been hit. Reports are that they were taken to the hospital. The car that may have hit them also went up on the street and grass of the corner house.
Very shortly after this accident, we were told that a car driving on the bike lane, yes on those zebra stripes, was involved in an accident and went up and into the garage of the corner house on the west side of Ocean Ave. It smashed the car parked inside the garage which had to be towed. We were also told the owner of the car just parked and left the garage. The garage door was destroyed by the impact.
Kingsborough students may have been involved in both accidents. We at MBCG have received numerous complaints that some KCC students leaving the campus on Oriental Blvd. accelerate rapidly going west.
The MBCG has made vehicular and pedestrian safety a major issue. Just last month, at our March meeting, a plan for “radarsigns” was announced. The College must realize that they can no longer ignore, as they say, what happens outside the gates. Everyone is in danger when people speed and drive recklessly. The College needs to work with us to help implement a plan to keep all of us safe.
UPDATE (4:19 p.m.): We are less and less certain that a) pedestrians were hit and b) the car hit a home. It seems now that the two cars hit each other, and one pulled/rolled into the driveway of a private residence. Not sure yet. We’ve just added the photo above, taken with a cell phone by another Kingsborough student. The accident happened somewhere around 2:30 p.m.
ORIGINAL STORY: We just heard from a Manhattan Beach resident that a car accident involving two cars, pedestrians and a home has occurred near Kingsborough Community College.
Though we haven’t yet been able to verify all of the information, it seems a car traveling on Oriental Boulevard towards the school was seeking to make a left turn onto MacKenzie Street. A car coming out of the college’s gates came to the intersection and struck three female students from Kingsborough. The car then drove into a home.
Again, we have not yet verified this information, and we haven’t heard about the condition of anyone involved. We’re told 61st Precinct’s Captain Mastrokostas is on the scene.
If you have any more information, please let us know. We’ll update as we find out more.