A 94-year-old woman from Rockaway struck three pedestrians crossing 153rd Avenue near 83rd Street Tuesday morning, police said, prompting area leaders to once again urge the city to rectify what they said is an increasingly dangerous area – which they noted is particularly worrisome because PS 232 is located there.
The driver, who was exiting the parking lot of Walbaum’s, reportedly struck a 43-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, and a 23-year-old man as they crossed 153rd Avenue around 11:20 a.m. Tuesday., according to the NYPD. All three complained of leg pain, and the young man was scratched and bleeding, police said. All three were treated at the scene, and no one went to the hospital.
None of the injuries were life-threatening or serious, police said.
Elected officials said while the accident fortunately was not serious, they consider that area to be a disaster waiting to happen and are urging the city Department of Transportation to immediately address concerns near PS 232, at which there are students in kindergarten through eighth grade.
“It should not take a tragedy for the city to prioritize our children’s safety,” Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) said. “For years, together with faculty and parents, we have been begging for action… This accident was preventable, and I demand the Department of Transportation take real action now to make these streets safer.”
State Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) too urged city officials to mitigate traffic problems surrounding the Lindenwood school.
“Our children are put at risk each day that goes by without a traffic safety device outside PS 232,” he said. “…The city needs to stop reacting to injuries near PS 232 and start preventing them.”
By Anna Gustafson
