City Wants Ideas On Making Park Slope's Streets Safer After Crash

PARK SLOPE, NY — As the city gears up for safety improvements to Ninth Street after two children were killed by a driver crossing it earlier this year, officials will hold a workshop next week to get residents' suggestion on dangerous streets in the neighborhood.

Councilman Brad Lander, the Department of Transportation and the Park Slope Street Safety Partnership will hold a town hall on May 30 seeking locals ideas on treacherous intersections in the neighborhood, the Brooklyn Paper first reported.

The workshop at M.S. 51 will go over potential solutions to improve street safety in the DOT's "toolkit" — like bike lanes — and let residents tell officials what other spots need fixes in the neighborhood, according to the Facebook page for the event.

The meeting comes weeks before the city's expected to unveil a redesign to Ninth Street to the Community Board after a driver struck five people crossing the road at the Fifth Street intersection, the Brooklyn Paper reported.

On March 5, Dorothy Bruns, 44, was stopped at the intersection when she lost control of her 2016 Volvo S60 and crashed into the pedestrians crossing, police said. She drove on for more than 300-feet, dragging a stroller, until she hit a parked car.

The crash killed Joshua Lew, 1, and Abigail Blumenstein, 4, and left their mothers Lauren Lew and Ruthie Ann Blumenstein in the hospital. A man was also left with minor injuries, authorities said.

Blumenstein, a Tony-award winning actress who performs under the name Ruthie Ann Miles, was pregnant at the time and lost her unborn baby last week.

Bruns, of Staten Island, was indicted on manslaughter charges earlier this month and faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted, prosecutors said.

The Park Slope Street Safety Town Hall will be held on Wednesday, May 30 at M.S. 51, 350 Fifth Avenue, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Image: Nicholas Rizzi/Patch