Injured Man Sues City for Street Sweeper Smash Up

A New York City street sweeper struck Bailey. Photo by Vetatur Fumar 

By Victoria Merlino

A Queens man who suffered permanent damage to his nervous system after a street cleaner slammed into his car is slapping the city with a lawsuit for the caught-on-camera crash.

Peter Bailey was driving near the corner of 133rd Avenue and Springfield Boulevard in Rochdale Village when a street cleaning vehicle swerved into his lane and hit the left side of his 2012 Dodge. The lawsuit filed in Queens Civil Supreme Court on Wednesday alleges that the Aug. 30 crash totaled his car and his body.

“It’s basically ruined his life,” said David Levy, the lawyer representing Bailey.

Levy told the Eagle that Bailey’s injuries caused him a great amount of pain, and he has trouble sleeping, sitting down and cannot work.

“He might never be the same,” Levy said.

Peter Bailey was allegedly struck by a sanitation vehicle that swerved into him near the corner of 133rd Avenue and Springfield Boulevard. Photo via Google Maps.

Levy said Bailey’s dashboard camera captured the sanitation vehicle crossing into his lane and ramming his car.

“The driver who did this is clearly negligent,” Levy said. The lawsuit also named the Department of Sanitation (DOS) and the driver Allan Perez as defendants.

Bailey’s lawsuit alleges that the driver was speeding and did not signal that it was making a possible lane change.

Perez earned over $94,000 salary last year, according to public records. He is still on active duty, according to a spokesman for the Department of Sanitation, and has been since 1999.

“We will review the complaint and respond accordingly,” said a spokesman from the city’s law department, which represents the DOS and declined to comment further while the case is pending litigation.