By Joe Anuta
Yet another car smashed into a Long Island City commercial block early Saturday morning after careening down an off-ramp of the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.
The Volkswagen crashed into a line of concrete barriers along Queens Plaza South between Crescent and 27th streets that was installed by the city Department of Transportation after the second fatal crash at the same spot.
“This ongoing situation is intolerable and inexcusable,” state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) said in a statement. The lawmaker held a news conference after the second accident to call on the city DOT to fix the off-ramp.
“Obviously, whatever safety measures DOT has taken failed to improve safety at this location,” he said. “For DOT to avoid responsibility and instead blame the drivers is unacceptable.”
The latest crash occurred at about 6 a.m., when the Volkswagen was traveling at a high rate of speed while exiting the bridge and hit the concrete barrier, landing on top of a livery cab and striking scaffolding meant to repair damage from the last crash, police said.
The driver and passenger of the Volkswagen were taken to Cornell Hospital with minor injuries, the livery cab driver and passenger were not injured.
Gianaris said the three accidents were no coincidence.
But in each case the driver of a Volkswagen was was involved in the crash.
On March 31, a car smashed into two storefronts on the block, killing pedestrian Anthony Buscemi and severing the arm of the driver.
Then on April 6 another driver named Alexander Palacio, 39, and a 40-year-old female passenger slammed into the same storefronts, and reports said Palacio had also severed his arm.
No one was seriously injured in the latest accident, but workers in the area hoped that the city would fix the problem. The barriers prevented the car from slamming into the row of businesses, which had been hit in the previous incidents.
“They should do something about it,” said Breed Singh, who works at the corner cafe near where three cars in the last two months have missed the road. “The guys who work at night are scared.”
DOT did not respond for comment.
Gianaris sent a letter to DOT after the second accident to request that the agency review all off-ramps to the bridge.
“Queens residents and small business owners should not have to endure projectile motor vehicles launched at them on a weekly basis due to the dangerous design of an off-ramp,” he said.
The design of the ramp was changed in 2009 to accommodate sweeping changes to the bridge and surrounding areas.
But Gianaris said more needs to be done to ensure motorists exit the roadway safely.
“It seems as though a sharp turn combined with poor visibility and lack of adequate signage further complicates the already dangerous exchange,” the letter said.
As of press time, the lawmaker was still waiting for a response.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
