Brooklyn mother fights for safe streets 2 years after son killed in motorcycle crash
City officials and community advocates gathered on Friday to mark progress on several of the changes Joann Perahia has fought for.
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A Brooklyn mother who has spent nearly two years pushing for safety improvements after her son's fatal motorcycle crash is beginning to see changes take shape in Bushwick.
Phillipe Haussmann was killed in August 2024 when a box truck struck him while he was riding his motorcycle near the intersection of Scott and Flushing avenues.
Since then, his mother, Joann Perahia, has made it her mission to advocate for street safety improvements in the area, hoping to prevent another family from experiencing the same loss.
"I did what any mother would do or what any human should do," Perahia said. "It's sort of when you see something, say something."
City officials and community advocates gathered on Friday to mark progress on several of the changes Perahia has fought for.
The improvements include restrictions aimed at limiting vehicle access near the intersection where Haussmann was killed. However, Perahia said the project is not yet complete.
"It's supposed to be closed off there completely, so that it's really known you can not go there," she said.
Despite the progress, Perahia pointed to ongoing concerns. Vehicles were still parked in an area where they should not be allowed, and some bollards and granite blocks intended to prevent vehicle access were missing.
"I am a little disappointed, but that's okay," Perahia said. "More mountains to move."
Additional safety upgrades have also been made nearby along the route Haussmann was traveling before the crash. Those changes include a crosswalk extension and a new no-turn sign.
Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez said the work highlights the need for better communication and follow-through from the city's Department of Transportation.
"I think this is a really good opportunity for us to call on DOT to do better, to work with us, to communicate better so that we're all on the same page consistently," Gutierrez said.
Perahia says the long-term goal remains the creation of a fully functioning pedestrian plaza in the area, though officials acknowledge additional planning and logistical challenges still need to be addressed before that vision becomes a reality.
For Perahia, the changes already in place are meaningful, but they do not represent the end of her advocacy.
"I'm doing this for you because I have no other choice," she said, speaking about her son. "It's inside of me. He's inside of me. We did it. Because he's helping from above."
As the project moves forward, Perahia says she plans to continue pushing for the remaining safety measures, determined to ensure her son's legacy helps protect others on Brooklyn's streets.
