Three preteens were struck by vehicles in separate crashes across South Williamsburg on Friday, April 24, all within about four hours. Two were walking and one was riding a stand-up scooter. Each child was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition with what police described as minor injuries. The rapid-fire string of incidents shook neighborhood parents and reignited long-running worries about whether local streets are actually safe for the kids who crowd the sidewalks and crosswalks every afternoon.
A child was struck by a vehicle on Walworth Street and Park Avenue. Hatzolah responded to the scene, and transported the child to Bellevue Hospital. pic.twitter.com/nEM2hQk8Cf
— Williamsburg 365 News (@Williamsburg365) April 24, 2026
Crash Cluster Hits South Williamsburg
The three collisions played out between about 1:30 p.m. and 5:35 p.m. and involved children ages 9, 11 and 12, according to reporting from Streetsblog New York City. Police told Streetsblog that the first crash happened when a 61-year-old driver hit a 9-year-old boy who was crossing Division and Lee avenues. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition with minor injuries.
After that collision near a preschool and Sobel Playground, neighbor Lillian Ilarraza told News12, “Sometimes the cars that come through here speed.” The second crash, at Park Avenue and Walworth Street, left an 11-year-old with minor injuries. Police and local responders said that child was also taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Dangerous Streets, Longstanding Tensions
South Williamsburg has a troubling crash history. Streetsblog reports that 78 pedestrians were injured last year in the compact area roughly bounded by Broadway, Park Avenue and Kent Avenue, with many of those injured being children. The neighborhood has also seen fierce battles over street design, including a high-profile decision to remove three blocks of a Bedford Avenue protected bike lane after community pushback, a move covered by NY1.
Advocates and parents say this latest cluster of incidents highlights the need for targeted street engineering and stronger traffic enforcement on busy, family-heavy blocks. The three injured children are expected to recover, but neighbors argue that the mix of high-traffic avenues and tight residential streets still falls short when it comes to protecting kids.
