Greenpoint residents are demanding police halt the speeding and drag racing they say has consumed the north end of the neighborhood for years now that a teenager has died.
Eighteen-year-old Jakub B. Kizer was killed Thursday night when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car at the intersection of Manhattan Avenue and Eagle Street. Kizer’s body sustained massive trauma in the crash.
Police have not said whether Kizer, who lived on Nassau Avenue between Monitor and North Henry streets, was racing at the time of his death, but neighbors say the speeding and racing are out of control and police have done little to stop it.
“The motorcycle and car races happen pretty much every weekend,” said Laura Hoffman. “They come racing right down Manhattan Avenue.”
Hoffman said she got so fed up that she went to a police precinct meeting six months ago to talk about the issue. At that time, officers promised her they would keep a watch on the area, but she claims nothing has changed, and it has even gotten worse during the summer.
Other residents agree, say the speeding is not limited to Manhattan Avenue, and claim that the speeders are a danger to themselves and pedestrians because drivers ignore the rules of the road.
“They speed down Commercial Street and Box Street all summer,” said Keith Sirchio. “I wouldn’t walk out onto Commercial Street. There is a stop sign there that most people ignore.”
The drag racing in the area dates back to a time when there were many desolate streets with few cars, residents said.
Police did not return repeated requests for comment.
Reach reporter Danielle Furfaro at dfurfaro@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2511. Follow her at twitter.com/DanielleFurfaro.
