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A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC. Gothamist Listen Live Donate News Brooklyn officials urge stricter speeding enforcement after 3 teens die on the Belt Parkway By Brittany Kriegstein Published Aug 28, 2026 at 8:24 a.m. ET
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Brooklyn elected officials are calling for stricter enforcement of speeding laws on the Belt Parkway after the crash that killed three teenagers and injured four other people on Tuesday.
City Councilmember Kayla Santosuosso, who represents Bay Ridge and Coney Island, and State Senator Andrew Gounardes, who represents neighborhoods of west Brooklyn, wrote a letter on Thursday to the commanding officer of the NYPD’s Highway Unit. They requested additional patrols to crack down on reckless driving and drag racing.
While police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the intense collision that killed 18-year-old driver Huzayfah Makharesh, 17-year-old passenger Konstantin Gerantidi and 16-year-old Abdul Rehman, officials have so far said that excessive speed appeared to be a factor. Most of the Belt Parkway has a 50 mile-per-hour speed limit.
“Drag racing and speeding is unfortunately commonplace on the Belt Parkway and enforcement seems to be severely lacking if present at all,” Santosuosso wrote, adding that she heard cars speeding on the busy thoroughfare just one night after the crash, and receives “chronic” complaints from constituents about drag racing.
“We are alarmed that people were able to replicate this dangerous behavior that had resulted in fatalities in the very same location, apparently unimpeded by enforcement,” she wrote.
Santosuosso and Gounardes said they were hoping to work with the police department to gain “a better understanding” of deployment strategies around the Belt Parkway.
The NYPD’s map of crashes is not yet updated to reflect the deaths of the teens as of Friday, but does not appear to show any other fatal crashes on the Belt Parkway so far this year.
The NYPD’s highway unit did not immediately respond to a request for comment on its enforcement strategies.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected] .
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