Whoa. Mystery traffic accident nearly wipes out new cafe

"I heard a tire screech I thought was the sound of breaks being applied and then "wham!"."

About 1:30p Friday (today as of 9/27) A Benz sedan rest angled into a parked black car and a group of onlookers stood around. The sedan had a sizable dent behind the driver side door. On the street a trail of skid marks arching suddenly from the Benz and out into the Bedford avenue at the intersection of park place.

I thought the Benz was hit into the driver until a passerby told me it had suddenly accelerated and then took a sharp left turn off Bedford into Parl place. The passerby said the driver seemed to be accelerating and not breaking.

The good news is there seem to be no one injured. This is amazing considering had the turn been less by half, it would have easily plowed directly into the new corner cafe on Park & Bedford.

The bad is the parked car the Benz hit has heavy damage to its rear and side, and an owner who only found out about the hit when he came out to drive to work.

The driver of the Benz left the scene it seems. My speculation is the Benz was stolen by a non-driver who lost control.

Police are on the scene investigating at this moment.

Update to the Clinton Hill manhole explosion post

Update: A press conference was held regarding the Clinton Hill manhole explosion and new pics.

release from Clinton Hill manhole explosion, press conference

A press conference on the underground explosion that ripped open the sidewalk at Washington Av and Lafayette Av in Clinton Hill was held to address the lack of information released in the incident involving Con Ed equipment.

Details are below as well as these photos from the Clinton Hill blog which first reported the accident.

Photo from Clinton Hill Blog

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 22, 2008

Manhole explosion in Clinton Hill this past Friday

Council Member Letitia James, elected officials, and residents will come together to discuss the manhole explosion in Clinton Hill, at the site of this dangerous incident on Washington Ave. at corner of Lafayette Ave., this Tuesday, Dec. 23rd, at 2:45 pm

Brooklyn, NY - The blast that occurred in the heart of Clinton Hill could be heard and felt across the neighborhood this past Friday evening / Saturday morning. The explosion was loud and frightening, and numerous fire trucks lined Washington Avenue immediately following the explosion.

Although the sidewalk was destroyed and possible damage caused to the Underwood Playground located near this site, as well as two residences that lost power, fortunately, no injuries were recorded. The lack of communication from Con Edison with elected officials and residents about the explosion is unacceptable (aside from residents whose homes had to be searched because of the blast, and the 23 people temporarily evacuated that night). Also, improved coordination with Con Edison and the Department of Sanitation should be made a top priority as this holiday season begins.

The winter season is prime time for incidents like this to happen – specifically post snowstorm. Manhole fires and explosions are caused by salty runoff from the streets that leak into the manholes and transformer vaults. The salt eats the insulation producing an explosive/flammable gas; the wires short out and spark, which then becomes the source of the ignition. If the manhole covers are older, the blast may put up enough pressure to turn them into cast iron Frisbees (newer manhole covers are made with vents to release pressure from harmful/explosive gases). Lastly, fire and carbon monoxide can make its way into nearby properties, specifically if the building’s electric service enters through an underground conduit.

WHAT: Press conference to discuss manhole explosions and improved coordination by Con Edison
WHEN: Tuesday, December 23rd, at 2:45 pm
WHERE: Washington Avenue at the corner of Lafayette Avenue

***** End of Release *******

Local MSM KaBlew It (or) If something blows up in B'Klyn and it isn't reported does it make difference?

How appropriate that NYC's shortest days of the calendar year have resembled high noon at the Arctic Circle. Not even the brightness found in the eyes of Veep-to-be Biden's new puppy could have cleared up the overcast skies that keep many non-breeders like me'sef in doors for the last 24hrs.

Was I alone the only citizen in early hiber-nation? Perhaps not. Maybe that's why all of a sudden something can blow up in NYC limits and (almost) nobody seems to care (almost).

Maybe the local MSM was still marveling at the fact that Caroline Kennedy, who has a history of not answering reporters' questions, doesn't actually give very deep answers when she does (gasp!) Maybe that's why they didn't report that a Brooklyn street corner basically exploded. Fortunately Robin Lester's Clinton Hill Blog and readers did.

Last night (after I finally stopped playing FB Dominos and went out) I snapped this pics of the aftermath on Washington and Lafayette Avenues:



Most of those slabs of concrete were scattered like puzzle pieces. Imagine the force
it takes to do that and what it would mean to be standing there when it happened.

It looks like the aftermath of a Max Sennett scene that would have ended up with
Buster Keaton reaching escape velocity in route to the Moon.

Well it's no ponzi scheme, but unlike ponzi this is very relevant to me as I frequently walk on sidewalks and don't wish to be blown up like an Iraqi translator.

Seriously folks, I know it was late at night and my pics are not suck free (did I mention FB Dominoes are really addictive as well as time consuming?) but if anyone was standing on that corner, when that explosion came through with enough force to toss sidewalk slabs like lunch trays. It would've been the kind of sad tragedy we all hate to hear about.

To help you get a sense of where this intersection lays, check these pictures I took on the same corner during the Marathon (in Nov). In both pics I stood basically where the explosion happened.

The first is looking north on Washington Av:

The second is looking west on Lafayette Av.

This is a well traveled street with a subway station, bus stop nearby and a popular and frequently used neighborhood playground at the corner as well.

The explosion seems to have been caused by Con Ed equipment going supernova just feet below our feet. Hmm Con Ed equipment exploding, how bad can that be? Oh. Oh. Oh. Ohh yeah.. Well.. it's not like the winter weather increases the risk of malfunctions right? ohh. Oh.Eww and as we all know we can't count on Con Ed to be forthright in these accidents.

The Clinton Hill blog (at the time of this posting) is the only place I've found any reporting on it all, I frequent that area and was on my cell when the big boom bang happened, several commenters on the Clinton Hill blog reported hearing it as well. Based on comments the explosion was audible in a radius throughout Clinton Hill and parts of Fort Greene. (on the gmap below people who heard it are marked by the red icon) which I made for your viewing pleasure and because I have cabin fever. (Holy Jeebus when will the sun god return) If not for CHB's reporting we'd all still be wondering what happened or worse not knowing at all.

Bottom line we know NYC is excitingly random enough, we don't need to add "Sudden Explosive Death" to the list of unexpected slices of Big Apple life. Much as I hate the soap boxy but we can't accept this, we all pay for this service let's spread the story voice our frustration and work at getting this fixed. nuff SED.


View Larger Map

GhostBikes on the movement

I was out in Fort Greene one night last week, sitting in the fortress that is my dude's SUV when suddenly a spectral object rolled by nearly glowing in the darkness. I recognized the shining skeletal bike immediately and went over.



Many of you will recognize the thin ten speed bike painted white from top to tires as part of the GhostBike project. Ghostbikes for those who don't know are created by volunteers and in several cities placed near the scene of a cyclist's death, usually with a plaque or sign detailing the accident. I find them appropriately reverent and spooky.

This text from their site describes the project:

The first ghost bikes were created in St. Louis, Missouri in 2003, and they have since appeared in at least 72 cities throughout the world. For those who create and install the memorials, the death of a fellow bicyclist hits home. We all travel the same unsafe streets and face the same risks; it could just as easily be any one of us. Each time we say we hope to never have to do it again -- but we remain committed to making these memorials as long as they are needed.

I felt all ghoulish asking where the bike was to be placed and the duo (clad all in black, mighty like ninjas) told me that bike was headed to Harlem, (Update: here's the bike installed in Harlem) and that they lived in Inwood. I mentioned I hadn't heard of any accidents around Fort Greene so I was surprised to see the bike at all. They then let me know that unfortunately there had been an fatal cycling accident on Nevins near Livingston (Downtown) and that they intended to place a GhostBike memorial there for a child who was killed while riding his bike with his father. That accident involved a postal truck, and the way the story was told to me it seemed just to be a terrible faultless happenstance. Sad indeed.


There will be a memorial ride on January 4th to raise awareness for cyclist's rights and safety, for details check their site: http://www.ghostbikes.org/node/364

Slow Down

"Damn!"

This morning (Wed) on the way to the office a chance encounter with a friend revealed that a motorcyclist had wiped out on Atlantic Av where South Portland becomes 6th Avenue.

By the time I got there the bike (as you can see) and first responders were all that remainded. Firefighters were hosing down the street, hopefully to clear motor and not bodily fluids.

Tonight on the way back from the office at around 10pm also walking down Atlantic Avenue, I heard a deep screech and watched as a guy skidded for at least 60 rain slicked feet clipping the rear end of a yellow cab. The cabbie took off (reminding me of what it was like as a kid in brooklyn when my mom would threaten that if I broke my neck, she would kick my ass) I guess his taxi mom has the same policy, regardless the cabbie barely slowed before peeling out. The driver of the skidded car swerved left and right before resting next to the sidewalk.

The driver was at fault and at this moment is probably still waiting for a tow truck since even from my view a half block away I could see his grill was smashed and dangling. Unlike the typical case the cabbie had the right of way, turning north on Vanderbilt from Atlantic and wasn't even going that fast when speed racer plowed through the intersection. Nobody else was hit in the crash from what I saw.

Driver Dude: if you ever read this and recognize yourself, WTF??,
you were going at least 40 with a solid orange light in front of you and wet streets below...

I hate being preachy but you had to see how needless this smashup was and how easily it could have been avoided. It's okay though, we can all slow down, right?

Sadly

Thursday morning as I was getting ready for work I heard sirens. It took a few minutes for me to realize that instead of going away they were getting louder. So I grabbed my camera, set for video and from that point on recorded what I saw. Sadly, a construction worker with hopes of earning money to support family in his native country, lost his life while laboring on a building project neither he nor his family could afford to live in.

This is the aftermath of that unfortunate incident.



A detailed story is here at NY1's website.
Family Mourns Loss Of Man Who Died In Fall From Scaffolding