Apparently, Bensonhurst drivers can’t be left to their own devices.
Police must post uniformed officers at the corner of 86th Street and Bay Parkway, because drivers are constantly making dangerous and illegal left turns across traffic at the intersection, according to one cross walker.
“It’s incredibly dangerous, and the police would make a killing writing tickets,” said Ronald Cohen, a lifelong Bensonhurst resident. “The other day, in the span of about 10 minutes, I saw at least 15 cars make illegal left turns there going in all directions.”
Large signs prohibiting left-hand turns hang on the elevated D train platform on each side of the intersection and some street lights.
Five drivers made illegal left-hand turns in the span of 15 minutes when this paper dropped by just after noon on Dec. 15. One turning from Bay Parkway to 86th Street nearly ran over a delivery man on a bicycle — though the cyclist did not appear to have the right-of-way.
Cars sneaking left-hand turns has become commonplace, according to one woman who works on 86th Street.
“People do that stuff around here all the time,” said Staten Islander Sandy Colon, who works at a pediatric office nearby. “Have I seen accidents? No. But people being careless? Yeah, all the time.”
There were eight accidents at the intersection in September and October, according to the police department’s latest records. Drivers hit pedestrians in two incidents — one involved five cars, and police attributed it to “driver inattention” and “failure to yield to right of way,” reports state. The other involved a van also failing to yield and striking a pedestrian.
The community board is alerting police, a local leader said.
“The police haven’t mentioned that intersection as a problem area, but behavior changes with enforcement, unfortunately, so we will reach out to them and let them know,” said Community Board 11 district manager Marnee Elias-Pavia.
