A 31-year-old woman is dead after a car blew through a red light and plowed into her on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights on Sunday night. According to police, Katherine Harris was crossing the heavily trafficked roadway inside the marked intersection at Clinton Street, before the speeding 27-year-old driver of a black Volvo rammed into her just before 10 p.m. The driver, Erick Taxilaga Trujillo, who later refused to take a breathalyzer test, had allegedly been speeding, and ran a solid red light at the intersection, cops said. Harris had the right-of-way when the crash occurred. Read more here.
Statement from the Atlantic Avenue BID: “Last night, a 31 year old woman was killed by a car at Atlantic & Clinton, the same intersection where resident Martha Atwater and Muyassar Moustapha, owner of Oriental Pastries, also lost their lives to cars. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of this young woman, and we are angered by this preventable death. Our corridor is a Vision Zero Priority Corridor, but we feel like we’ve been given zero priority: in the past 5 years, our district has witnessed 3 fatalities; 52 cyclist injuries; 82 pedestrian injuries; and a total of 1800 crashes (source: NYC Crash Mapper). The BID renews our call to DOT to prioritize safety on Atlantic Avenue, including mid-block crossings, red light cameras, slow turn infrastructure, and a comprehensive traffic safety plan so that we do not lose one more single life!”
Statement from the Cobble Hill Association: “There are no words. Sunday evening, April 16, a 31-year-old woman was killed trying to cross Atlantic Avenue at Clinton Street. She was hit by a drunk driver who sped through the light heading westbound. This intersection is unacceptably dangerous, as are all of the intersections on this stretch of Atlantic. The CHA will continue to push the City to implement meaningful traffic calming measures and encourage individuals to do the same. In the coming weeks we will share more ways to get involved. This is not the first neighbor we have lost, and we shouldn’t have to lose more for things to change. Katharine’s friends and family have started a small memorial outside of 136 Atlantic if anyone would like to add flowers. Our hearts go out to her friends and her family.”
Statement from Council Member Lincoln Restler: “There was a devastating crash on Atlantic Avenue between Henry and Clinton resulting in yet another tragic, avoidable death. The 31 year old young woman who lost her life, Katherine Harris, was the fourth person to be killed on this block in the past decade. Traffic calming and safety improvements on Atlantic Avenue have been a top priority and my office is committed to working with DOT to make them happen. Earlier this year I coordinated a walk with DOT down Atlantic and stressed the need for urgent safety improvements, such as mid-block crossings, expanded pedestrian space around BQE ramps, and curb extensions to slow down turns. We simply cannot keep allowing preventable traffic fatalities to happen and we will be increasing the pressure on DOT to make swift changes happen. If you have suggestions for safety improvements on Atlantic, please email our team.”
Statement from the Brooklyn Heights Association: “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Katherine Harris, who was killed on April 16th at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Clinton Street by an out-of-control driver speeding down the avenue. 4 pedestrians have been killed at Atlantic Ave & Clinton St since 2013, including former BHA Governor Martha Atwater (2013), Muyassar Moustapha, owner of the beloved local business Oriental Pastry & Grocery (2015), and an unnamed 70 year old man who lost his life crossing the street in 2016. That is an absolutely horrific list, and the overall stats are even worse. The Atlantic Avenue BID reports that in spite of Atlantic Ave being a “Vision Zero Priority Corridor” in just the past 5 years the avenue has seen 82 pedestrian injuries, 52 cyclist injuries, and a total of 1800 crashes. (Source: NYC Crash Mapper) The BHA is working in partnership with other local organizations like the AABID, the Cobble Hill Association, the Boerum Hill Association and our elected officials to demand a comprehensive traffic safety plan and the immediate implementation of changes to make our streets & intersections safer. These changes could include physically separating cars from pedestrians and cyclists; reducing vehicle speeds; timing traffic light signals; self-enforcing speed through street design features; and “daylighting” of intersections to increase visibility and more. Our city must not continue to prioritize cars and trucks over our lives.”
