Car slams man on Qns. street — pols prep to improve safety

A car rammed into a man crossing Northern Blvd. in Queens,, critically injuring him — as the city prepares to give the bustling commercial strip a Vision Zero makeover because of an alarming uptick in pedestrian fatalities, officials said Saturday.

The victim, believed to be in his 30s, was struck while crossing Northern Blvd. in the middle the block near 87th St. about 10:15 p.m. Friday, officials said.

Witnesses told police he was stepping off a pedestrian median in the middle of the four-lane boulevard when he was mowed down. The motorist remained at the scene, and no charges were immediately filed.

The pedestrian, who suffered a severe head injury, was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. His name wasn’t immediately disclosed. Three weeks ago, the city announced it would begin addressing traffic safety issues along Northern Blvd. between 70th and 92nd Sts. — a stretch residents have begun calling Queens’ new “Boulevard of Death” because of the spike of pedestrian fatalities in recent years.

Four people were killed by cars crossing Northern Blvd. last year, officials said. Eight pedestrian deaths have occurred along the stretch between January 2012 and Sept. 15, 2018, officials said.

The traffic measures, which drastically reduced pedestrian fatalities along Queens Blvd., the borough’s original “Boulevard of Death,” will include more pedestrian islands and roadway redesigns, officials said.