Pedestrian Struck and Killed on Dangerous Staten Island Arterial; No Charges

A senior citizen was run over and killed by the driver of a Ford van on Monday afternoon at a notorious Staten Island intersection, but the driver was not charged, said the NYPD.

According to cops, Yingqui Liu, 73, was crossing South Avenue at around 3 p.m. when the driver, whose name was not released, slammed into him as he turned left from Forest Avenue. A Google image taken just one month ago shows that the intersection in which Liu walked did not have a proper pedestrian signal on the western side of the crosswalk.

Forest Avenue is a dangerous roadway. In just one year, there have been 60 reported crashes in the short stretch between Willow Road and South Street, injuring 33 people, including two cyclists and eight pedestrians, according to city statistics. Three people have been killed on Forest Avenue since 2019, according to Transportation Alternatives. There have been no roadway improvements west of Morningstar Road.

“We are heartbroken and outraged that yet another senior pedestrian was killed by a driver,” said Rose Uscianowski, the group’s Staten Island and South Brooklyn organizer. “Crossing the street should not be a death sentence. Yingqui Liu should be alive today. We need city officials to build safe pedestrian and bike access between the Bayonne and Goethals bridges to slow down drivers and protect everybody on our roads. Traffic violence is preventable — we need our leaders to take action now to keep all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable, safe.”

At least 99 pedestrians have been killed on New York City streets this year, according to the Department of Transportation, which provided statistics through Nov. 20:. It is the second bloodiest year since Vision Zero began in 2014.

Forty-two New Yorkers 65 and older have been killed in traffic crashes this year — and three-quarters were pedestrians.