Sunset Park hit-and-run prompts renewed calls for Brooklyn street redesign
Nearly two weeks ago, police say 80-year-old Kex Un Chen and 59-year-old Faqui Lin were struck and killed while crossing Third Avenue and 52nd Street. The driver has since been arrested and charged, but the crash has reignited demands from local leaders and residents to redesign the corridor entirely.
Advocates who gathered Wednesday say they'll keep pressing until the city finally slows this street down.
"We wait until someone dies. We wait until a tragedy. We wait to say, 'oh my gosh, how could this possibly have happened?' We let this happen time and time again," Brooklyn State Senator Andrew Gounardes said.
"We want the city to actually commit real capital to make sure that it can do treatments that truly address the safety concerns while balancing the fact that we have an industrial business zone here," City Councilmember Alexa Avilés said.
Advocates say this is not a new issue. According to activists, 80 New Yorkers have been killed or seriously injured along the two-mile stretch of Third Avenue since 2018.
"We started talking about a plan in 2014 and it's now 2025. What is going on? We got word last fall that there was a pause, but an indefinite pause and I don't know what that means. There's been no conversation, no updates," Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes said.
One of the most dangerous intersections, according to residents, is at 60th Street, where there are three schools, an overpass with poor lighting and proximity to a highway ramp converge.
"They speed off the ramp coming to this local street thinking it's a race," said Jerry Chan, Vice Chair of Public Safety for Brooklyn Community Board 7.
"We can hear the endless din of really, really large trucks, all kinds of cars, treating this neighborhood street as a highway," said Alexa Sledge, Director of Communications at Transportation Alternatives.
In response, City Hall issued a statement which reads:
"The Adams administration is committed to enhancing safety and accessibility throughout the city so that all New Yorkers — whether they're walking, biking, or driving — can move through their neighborhoods safely. Prior to making any major changes to a corridor, we receive comprehensive input from community members and local businesses to ensure every voice is heard. The Department of Transportation is currently integrating public feedback into project planning to determine next steps."
The roar of trucks and speeding cars along Brooklyn's Third Avenue corridor is a constant reminder of the dangers that lurk along the local street.
For Jane Martin-Lavaud, it's deeply personal.
"The traffic is a wee bit triggering," she told Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger. "When a traumatic event like this occurs, you feel very much isolated and betrayed by the universe."
Martin-Lavaud, a member of Families for Safe Streets, wiped away tears while holding a photo of her daughter, 24-year-old daughter Leonora Lavaud. Twelve years ago, Leonora was killed by a driver in Gravesend. Since then, her mother dedicated herself to traffic safety advocacy.
"Who wants to have police at the door? Who wants to get that phone call? Who wants to have to go and show up at the city morgue and identify their child in a body bag?" she said.
Have a story idea or tip in Brooklyn? Email Hannah by CLICKING HERE.
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