The narrow lanes, sharp turns, and poor lighting of the Southern State Parkway all make it incredibly dangerous for drivers. In particular, the 10 miles between exits 17 in Malverne and 32 in South Farmingdale have been locally coined as “Blood Alley” due to the excessive number of accidents that have happened there. After over a dozen head-on collision deaths in the mid-80s to 1990, the state of New York added medians and graded the highway to make it safer. But the parkway continues to pose dangers to drivers.
In this article, I’ll tell you more about the history of accidents in the area and what the state is doing to make improvements. If you have a serious accident on the Southern State Parkway, don’t wait: call Buttafuoco & Associates at 1-800-NOW-HURT for a free consultation on your case.
Thousands of Crashes Per Year
The Southern State Parkway was built in 1927, and quickly became an incredibly popular and idyllic drive among New Yorkers, providing easy access to Long Island’s beautiful beaches and forests. A lot has changed since then.
Today, over 200,000 cars a day use the Parkway, often at dangerously high speeds. According to CBS News New York, it sees four thousand crashes per year, many of them fatal. The well-known “Blood Alley” area is the major source of problems, with different issues associated with specific exits. For example, Exit 18 is a hot spot for accidents involving oversized vehicles.
Serious Accidents of All Types
A variety of serious accidents have happened on the Parkway over the years.
In 2019, the Department of Transportation was called to study the on and off ramps of the parkway when New York State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and Republican Senator Kemp Hannon introduced bills due to concerns about traffic at Exit 13, near Elmont High School. A mosque in the area draws heavy traffic, with vehicles often speeding up to 40 miles per hour. In 2014, a 14-year-old high school student, Mohamed Tarek was run down by a driver and left in a coma. Area residents say that people are nearly struck there on a daily basis. In this area in particular, there is a blind corner near the on and off ramps near to an area where students walk. Vehicles speed at up to 40 miles per hour. What makes matters worse is that there is not sufficient lighting or traffic signals.
Exit 18 is another area of serious concern.
According to reports, tall vehicles frequently strike the overpass. Oversized vehicles hit the overpass on average three times per year, resulting in dozens of injuries. In 2018, a bus struck the Eagle Avenue bridge. In 2021, a tractor-trailer struck the same overpass, shearing off its roof and becoming wedged under the overpass. The driver was charged with reckless endangerment after he left the scene, where an accident occurred later that day when an SUV crashed into the tractor-trailer.
A 2016 study found that over the course of just five years, over 10,500 accidents occurred on the Southern State Parkway, 32 of which were fatal.
Victims Speak Out
In 2021, victims whose loved ones had been injured or killed on the Parkway began demanding that something be done. In response, New York Senator John Brooks submitted a grant application for nearly one million dollars to increase law enforcement in the area with license plate readers and cameras.
Reckless driving on the Parkway’s winding roads–including a serious problem with drag racing–is a major cause of accidents, and increased surveillance would hold drivers accountable for their actions. Solanges also sponsored the “SOS Safety on Southern State” bill in 2021. Under the bill, the highway would be designated a “Highway Safety Corridor,” receiving more signage, speed cameras, and increased financial penalties for drivers who violate the law.
Unfortunately, the bill has not yet been passed, and drivers continue to recklessly race through the twists, turns, and heavily populated areas of the Southern State Parkway, putting citizens at risk.
Do You Need a Lawyer After a Southern State Parkway Accident?
The SOS bill is still awaiting a response, and while research and safety measures continue to be explored, it cannot reverse the many deadly accidents that have happened on this roadway.
If you or a loved one has suffered an accident on the Southern State Parkway, the New York accident attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates may be able to help. Get in touch today for a free case review. We will tell you whether or not you have a case and apprise you of your rights. If you do have a case, we will fight hard to ensure that you get the compensation you need to make a complete recovery.
Call 1-800-NOW-HURT today.
