A 3-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after she ran into oncoming traffic and was struck by a car in Sunset Park just after midnight Thursday, according to police. The collision happened in front of a home on 50th Street and left the child in critical condition. Emergency crews took her to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, and authorities said the vehicle involved stayed at the scene.
As reported by News 12 Brooklyn, the car was a 2018 Nissan Sentra carrying two adults and two children. The outlet says the girl ran into oncoming traffic shortly after 12 a.m. and was taken to NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn in critical condition. The driver did not flee, according to the report.
Safety In The Neighborhood
Sunset Park has been racking up serious crashes in recent years. Crash Count's neighborhood profile shows more than 2,350 collisions and roughly 1,470 injuries in Sunset Park (West) between Jan. 1, 2022 and mid-2025, per Crash Count. Local advocates point to wide avenues and heavy vehicle traffic as ongoing hazards for people on foot, especially young children.
Citywide Context
The incident comes as city officials tout progress under Vision Zero. The NYC Department of Transportation said in early April that traffic deaths were near their lowest levels in recorded history for the first three months of 2026, and cited street redesigns and automated enforcement as key factors in the decline, according to NYC DOT. Advocates counter that those gains do not erase block-by-block risks, particularly on streets where children play and cars move fast.
What Police Are Investigating
News 12 Brooklyn reports that the vehicle remained at the scene and that police had not immediately announced any charges. The outlet said authorities had not released further details about the circumstances of the crash.
This remains a developing story, and officials are expected to release more information as the investigation continues. No additional details were immediately available.
