Pedestrian Struck, Killed on Atlantic Avenue Sunday Night

By on April 17, 2023 6:08 pm in 11201, Brooklyn Heights, News, Public Safety, Streets, Traffic

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle and multiple news outlets have reported a pedestrian was struck and killed at about 10:00 pm Sunday evening on Atlantic Avenue near Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights. Katherine Harris, a 31-year-old originally from Hyde Park, NY had the right of way when a Volvo traveling west at a high rate of speed ran the red light, striking her mid-crosswalk. The Volvo then hit another car causing both of them to crash into a restaurant dining shed. Ms. Harris was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported.

Per the Brooklyn Paper, the driver, 27-year-old Erick Taxilaga Trujillo was arrested on suspicion of DUI. He has been charged with manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, driving while ability impaired, and refusal to take a breath test.

City Council Member Lincoln Restler who has previously called for more pedestrian safety measures on Atlantic Avenue tweeted his condolences, “Another tragic, avoidable death on Atlantic Avenue between Henry & Clinton. I am so horribly sorry about this unnecessary loss of life. Traffic calming & safety improvements on Atlantic are a top priority. We are committed to working with neighbors and DOT to make it happen.”

Photo Credit: Creative Commons/Joe Shlabotnik

 


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  • FatFreddy’sCatheter

    Perhaps “ghost manikins” — painted white and chained to street signs where there has been death, just like the ghost bikes — would move the mayor to make a priority of pedestrian rights. You know, as they accumulate around the city…

  • Banet

    Songbird, one correction: the Volvo did not crash into another car – the driver did. Cars don’t drive themselves (yet).

    I’d suggest a similar edit to the headline:

    Pedestrian Struck, Killed on Atlantic Avenue Sunday Night
    ->
    Driver Runs Red Light and Kills Pedestrian in Crosswalk, on Atlantic Avenue Sunday Night

  • Jorale-man

    Perhaps they should install speed bumps on Atlantic like they have on some residential streets.

    I find one has to cross very defensively at that intersection. Watch the drivers’ behavior as you’re crossing and don’t assume that they’re going to stop for that red light, or see you as they turn onto Clinton.

  • karateca2000

    I’m incredibly upset about this tragic death. I was walking on that same block on Sunday and I saw a couple of cars speeding. They were probably going at 60mph.

    We are at the mercy of drivers and nobody seems to be willing to stop it. How many more people need to die until things change?

  • Andrew Porter

    I’m always very cautious when crossing Atlantic, going to Trader Joe’s, but speed bumps—and, indeed, traffic lights—won’t prevent a drunken driver from causing a crash or collision.

  • Andrew Porter

    As a news editor/publisher, a brief headline is always better than a long one. The point is to grab the reader, make them want to read the article. The details of what happened are within the piece.

    Remember the famous “Stix Nix Hix Pix”?

  • Banet

    Fair, though that style is from the print days where space is limited. The web offers infinite space. But if we want to keep it short I suggest:

    Driver Runs Red Light and Kills Pedestrian in Crosswalk

    The street and timing are not critical to the headline.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    Apparently, Atlantic Avenue was a pedestrian hazard long before the automobile was invented. According to the late Bob Dimond, the railway tunnel underneath AA (the oldest rail tunnel in the world) was constructed because of the high pedestrian casualties from trains and horse-drawn wagons, that was in 1844.

  • Jorale-man

    Agreed about the drunk drivers, though it seems there have been a number of sober drivers speeding through that intersection and hitting people too. So tougher measures of some sort are in order.

  • SongBirdNYC

    Thanks for your suggestions. I was and remain more concerned with the woman who was killed.

  • Banet

    That’s my point – you write “was killed”. I’m just trying to reenforce the fact that she was not killed by a mysterious force, or even killed by a car. She was killed by another person who used a car as a weapon – no different than a gun.

    I HATE that Atlantic is so dangerous. As a parent of children starting to gain their independence, I think drivers are – by far – the greatest danger to our children. Much worse than subways, kidnappers, or stray bullets.

  • SongBirdNYC

    You read the post. You got the point. Moving on.

  • TeddyNYC

    Another tragedy on our streets because of aggressive and/or drunken behavior by some drivers speeding down Atlantic Ave. to get to the BQE. Someone else talked about the possibility of closing the on-ramp for the Queens-bound BQE on another blog to reduce the number of aggressive drivers using Atlantic Ave. as an extended on-ramp of the BQE. I don’t know if that would help, but maybe the installation of speed cameras might?

  • TeddyNYC

    A lot of trucks use Atlantic Ave. so installing speed bumps may result in a lot of noise. Maybe speed cameras would help to some degree? Someone suggested closing the on-ramp to the Queens-bound BQE.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    LOL, Closing the QB ramp at AA has to be one of the dumbest ideas ever. First, there is no proof the ramp causes anyone to speed. Second, what neighborhood do you think all those detoured cars are are going to drive through to get to the next ramp?

  • Victoria

    The young woman had a name and a face and a family, a mom a widow who will never get to see her daughter get married, have children that was all taken away from her. Brothers, aunts, uncles and friends who will forever mourn her loss. The people that witnessed this it will forever be etched in their memory. Her community at home where she grew up have lost one of their own. Something should be done! It should have been done years ago with the first fatality. Maybe speed surveillance? Speed bumps? This animal was driving way over the speed limit possibly under the influence and sent a beautiful human being to her death. I agree it wasn’t the car it was the reckless use of the car. What will he get? A few years and then out maybe he should never be allowed to drive as long as he lives and I hope he lives with this every day and it haunts him.
    City Council member Lincoln Restler with all due respect the tweet you sent as a condolence is that to anyone in particular? Maybe a phone call or a letter expressing your condolences to the family would be a more honorable human act. Traffic calming maybe you can do better. I can’t believe I grew up in that Borough and to see what it’s become appalls me. Tweet

  • Teresa

    Jessie Singer’s excellent book discusses at length how the language we use describe incidents like this affect policy. It’s a great read and changed my thinking about how I use language in these situations. Worth a look. By taking the agency off the humans, it also takes away responsibility for them, which is also reflected in our legal system

  • Teresa
  • AEB

    Your point is of course taken–and indeed what occurred was a tragic loss of life. I must, however, take exception to your assumption that the victim’s mother ‘will never get to see her daughter get married, have children….” Not everyone gets or wants to get married and/or have children. Taking issue with this assumption may seem petty or carping, but it misrepresents the diversity of all of us for the sake of an easy heart-tug. Not everyone follows a very conventional path.

  • Andrew Porter

    Short is always better than long. A comma always replaces “and”. One line of type is better than two.

    Look at article titles in, say, the NY Times.

  • TeddyNYC

    I don’t know how effective installing speeding cameras would be, but maybe that would be something to consider. Speed bumps would probably cause increased noise when trucks go over them which would be an issue for residents who live along Atlantic.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nPOzGeyaw Arch Stanton

    I agree, speed bumps not an option but yeah, Speed cameras could help. Unfortunately nothing can totally prevent some drunken idiot from getting behind the wheel killing someone.

  • Victoria

    I have known Katie since she was 5 years old. She has been best friends with my daughter. Katie’s mom and I have been friends for 26 years. It’s not a heart tug it’s knowing who the victim was. She wanted to go to Paris her dream amongst others. So before you say petty and carping make sure you have some background as to who you are addressing.
    I’ve also read quite a bit of your replies to other people. You make quite a use of the word assumption. Is that the only word in your vocabulary?

  • B.

    Losing someone you know and love to a reckless, speeding moron is a terrible blow. One of my students — an intelligent, dear girl — was killed by a drunk driver. Not so drunk that he couldn’t get on the highway and flee the scene. They caught him.

    I’m sorry.

  • SongBirdNYC

    I’m so sorry for your loss and the senseless way her life was taken. If there is any message you or the family would like us to share, please let us know. I also photograph for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and work closely with their writer Mary Frost If you would like me to suggest a profile of Katie, I’m happy to do it. Mary is a very thoughtful and skilled writer. But of course I understand the family and those close to her also need their privacy at this time.

  • Kim

    I am Katie’s mother. Please do not feel you need to take exception about assumptions being made about my daughter on her behalf. Katie very much looked forward to someday being married and having children. She also planned a trip to Ireland for the two of us, and dreamed of a trip to Paris for herself. She was buried in the dress she was going to wear to her best friend’s wedding in a few weeks. She was excited that she was able to score tickets to the Beyonce concert in July. She was passionate about social justice and equity issues. All these things and more, she’ll never do, because she was killed. Anyone who does not feel a “heart-tug” from this does not have a soul.

  • Victoria

    Thank you so much for you sympathy and understanding. We are all heartbroken. I will speak to her mom and family and if she wants to we will get in touch with you. Is there a way privately to communicate with you as far as not being on this blog, if her mom wants to share a bit of Katie’s life with the world. I also have noted Mary Frost’s name. Thank you again

  • Victoria

    I’m sorry for your loss as well.

  • Andrew Porter
  • clarknt67

    I would bet serious money Lincoln reached out privately to the family. Not including her name in his public statement respects their privacy and their autonomy to decide for themselves if they wish to be a part of the public discussion — or not. Your anger seems misdirected at Councilman Restler, who has always been one of our best elected allies and champions in the fight for safer streets.

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