Mai Zhang

Exerpted from Gothamist

Mai Zhang struck and killed by the driver of SUV in Bensonhurst
in the afternoon when he was biking south down Bay 26 street, less than a block away from his
home.

The driver of the SUV, reportedly a woman in her 50s, remained on
the scene. An NYPD spokesman said that no charges have been filed, and
that the investigation is ongoing. The Post reports
that the driver's 12-year-old son fled the scene of the crash after it
happened, only to return later with his father. The tabloid also notes
that there was no criminality suspected, but an NYPD spokesman declined
to confirm that assertion.

Locals told the Bensonhurst Bean the he worked as a delivery person for a local Chinese restaurant.

The crash was also covered in DNAinfo  Streetsblog  News12  Metro and The Brooklyn Daily

From the Bensonhurst Bean

City Already Said “No” To Request For Benson Ave, Bay 26th St Traffic Signal

The Department of Transportation previously denied a request to
install a traffic signal at a Benson Avenue intersection where a cyclist
recently lost his life after being struck by a car, Bensonhurst Bean
has learned.

Neighbors recently requested the traffic signal after Mai Zhang, 74, was struck and killed by an SUV on May 27 while riding his bicycle through the intersection at Benson Avenue and Bay 26th Street. Locals said they’ve made multiple requests over the years,
but that their complaints fell on deaf ears. Now the Department of
Transportation has informed this news outlet that the intersection was
studied in 2012 – and a traffic light was deemed unnecessary.

The agency said the intersection does not meet federal guidelines for additional traffic controls. The city looks at nine factors recommended by the federal government
to determine if a light is needed, including the volume of traffic and
pedestrian usage. However, they do not consider the intersection’s
accident history.

Even if they did, the DOT said they wouldn’t have much of a history
to go by. Prior to the death of Zhang, there were no injuries of any
kind at Benson Avenue and Bay 26th Street between 2007 to 2011, the last
year of available injury data. They did not provide data on the number
of accidents that did not result in injuries.

Meanwhile, City Council candidate John Lisyanskiy has latched onto
the issue, sending out a statement on Friday demanding the installation
of a light, and urging neighbors to flood government offices with
requests. He wrote:

“I am deeply saddened by the unnecessary death of our
friend Mai Zhang,” John Lisyanskiy, 47th District City Council Candidate
said. “This is outrageous. For far to long our community has suffered
from accidents on the corner of Bay 26th Street and Benson Avenue.
Tragically on May 27, we lost Mr. Zhang on this very corner, as a
community we cannot stand by and loose another life due to a simple
streetlight installation. Today, I have called and written a letter to
the Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan
demanding a streetlight be installed at this intersection immediately. I
encourage my neighbors and friends to call and demand the same through
311 and the DOT Brooklyn Borough Commissioner’s Office. As a community
we cannot stand for this, we cannot work and live in a place where it
isn’t safe to cross the street. With two public schools within three
block radius, our children and elderly should not have to sprint across
this wide thoroughfare between speeding cars worried for their lives.
Ignoring this lifesaving request is unacceptable. We must protect our
community and the people that live in it, which is why installing this
light is crucial. Commissioner Sadik-Khan we need you to take action
now.”