By Carol Tannenhauser
A pedestrian was struck by a Dodge Ram truck as it turned left from West 106th Street onto Amsterdam Avenue at about 3:45 p.m., Wednesday, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
An officer at the scene told tipster Ken C. that the driver stayed at the scene, and that “the pedestrian had the light…the driver did too. Accidents do happen,” she said.
The man who was struck was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside (which the cops continue to call St. Luke’s) hospital in stable condition.
Thanks to Ken C. for the tip and photograph.
Correction: The officer at the scene was a woman and said both parties had the “light,” not the walk signal as originally reported.
How does both the pedestrian and the driver have the walk signal? I assume they mean the truck had a green light so it must have been turning. Yes, accidents happen but it sounds as of this was the drivers fsult.
“the pedestrian had the walk signal…the driver did too”
What in the world is that supposed to mean? If the pedestrian has the walk signal, they have right of way, and it’s responsibility of the motorist to say out of their way. That’s pretty much the end of the story.
If the pedestrian had the walk signal, it sounds like the driver, despite having a green light, would have been required to yield to the pedestrian. That a police officer didn’t know this, but rather chalked it up to being an “accident,” is upsetting. I hope the victim is not too seriously injured.
N.Y. VLT §1142(b): Motorists must yield to any pedestrian crossing the road on which they are travelling. Also, a collision with a pedestrian in a crosswalk will be considered sufficient evidence of failure to yield to said pedestrian.
Not complicated, pedestrian has right of way… would be great if NYPD did anything to enforce laws against drivers who injure our neighbors rather than shrugging it off.
I have never understood why pedestrians can be hit or killed and somehow the drivers don’t get a serious summons.
Yes, I don’t understand that either! The y may both have “had the light” but the pedestrian had the right of way, not the truck.
Is that a condescending comment that “cops” call Morningside Mt. Sinai “St. Luke’s?” It was a far more humane medical center when it was under the former administration of St. Luke’s. Police may know that. Since Mt. Sinai charged into our neighborhood, the sirens have been intrusive and when long time residents of Morningside Heights have complained, Mt. Sinai has responded with corporate defensiveness. Long live St. Luke’s, where I visited many Riverside Church parishioners for 25 years! I remember when my mother said, “You don’t believe in “progress?” Nope, not then, not now.
not always Mt. Sinai ambulances.
The Mt. Sinai ambulance sirens are horrible and need to be changed. A few years ago some of our NYC ambulances sounded like London sirens – alternating between 2 notes. Let’s bring those back.
I’ve heard the same thing.
Years ago, I switched from my local Roosevelt Hospital to St. Luke’s uptown for physical therapy. It was great.
I don’t think it’s meant to be condescending. I still refer to many places (schools, stores, public arenas, theaters) by their original names because that’s what they were called for most of my life. It annoys some people and confuses others, lol. St. Luke’s was the first ER I ever went to and that was 30+ years ago, and I still think of it as St. Lukes. Now I live on 72nd near Broadway and I hear the sirens from Mt. Sinai West so I understand where you’re coming from. It was absolute torture during the height of Covid because it seemed to never stop.
I agree. That is why I continue to call the “Koch Theatre” at Lincoln Center by its rightful original name, “The New York State Theatre”.
“Now I live on 72nd near Broadway and I hear the sirens from Mt. Sinai West”
Did you mean Roosevelt Hospital? lol.
LOL! All three of my children were born at the hospital I will always refer to as “St. Luke’s – Roosevelt”. Sometimes we just feel comfortable with the names from our past.
UWS Dad, you are so young! I still call St. Luke’s St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Roosevelt.
Thanks! It’s been a while since I’ve been called young…..my children certainly don’t think so. You’ve made my day!!
I still call Avenue of the Americas Sixth Avenue. Just stubborn, I guess.
I echo what others have posted – what about the ‘pedestrians’ having the right of way when the light is green for them to cross. It is more evidence that pedestrians have lost status as import NYC residents.
A green light is for vehicular traffic, not pedestrians. We might as well rip out all the pedestrian crossing signals since no one pays attention to them.
Drivers should treat a walk signal (or flashing don’t walk) like a stop sign when approaching an intersection to turn. The only way this isn’t driver error is if the ped just came out of nowhere to cross just as the truck was turning. Then it’s terrible bad luck.
106th and Amsterdam has turn signals. can be confusing if not careful. but vehicle should always give way to unprotected pedestrian.
This happens regularly when a driver turns at a green light and hits a pedestrian who is crossing the street with the same green light. But the officer was wrong n claiming that “the pedestrian had the light…the driver did too. Accidents do happen,”. The law is the law and it states that the pedestrian has the right of way. I do not understand why in situations like this, the driver fails to see the pedestrian that he is going to hit.
Pedestrians should not start crossing the street when the crossing signal starts flashing. Vehicles need that window of time to make turns.
That is nonsense. Vehicles pull into the intersection and can wait. They can complete the turn after the crosswalk clears and ahead of the traffic stopped at the light.
I agree with you even though I don’t drive in the city and the vast majority of pedestrians I see, including me, don’t routinely observe this. I think it contributes to driver anger in high traffic areas such as midtown.
What I don’t know is whether it is law that you should not cross walk once the don’t walk starts flashing. I tend to doubt it given N.Y. VLT §1142(b) cited above.
The law disagrees with you: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-york-city-right-of-way-pedestrians-during-flashing-red/584480/
Agree. But what evidence do you have that the pedestrian in this case started crossing the street AFTER the crossing signal started flashing? But even if so, the pedestrian has the right of way.
For the motorist, driving in the street has become much more visually confusing. Not too many years ago we did not have bike lanes or dining areas in the street. The bike lanes did not exist and all outdoor dining areas were on the sidewalk not on the street.
People, is it possible that the driver was in his turn and the pedestrian tried to beat the light before the “don’t walk “ sign flashed an ran in front of the truck. Please don’t judge what you don’t absolutely know. Just sayin’
Unfortunately he passed away on Friday the 12th. He was not in stable condition as the news said. It is very unfortunate. His family are devastated. They have a gofundme for him.