On September 13, 1899, real estate broker Henry H. Bliss stepped off a streetcar at West 74th Street and Central Park West in Manhattan and was struck by an electric taxicab. He died the next morning. Bliss is recognized as the first person killed by a motor vehicle in the United States in a recorded pedestrian accident. A memorial plaque was placed near the spot on the 100th anniversary in 1999, reminding New Yorkers of the long history of street safety.

At a glance
Date September 13, 1899 (died September 14)
Location Central Park West at West 74th Street, Manhattan
Vehicle Electric taxicab
Legacy Memorial plaque dedicated in 1999

What happened

Bliss, 68, was helping a woman off a streetcar when an electric taxi passed and hit him. The driver was arrested and charged but later acquitted, as the death was ruled accidental. Newspapers reported the event as a sign of the dangers of the new “horseless carriages”.

A city learning to share its streets

In 1899, New York’s streets were crowded with horse-drawn wagons, streetcars, pushcarts and pedestrians. Cars were still rare — but fast, quiet electric cabs were a new hazard. The same year saw the city’s first speeding arrest. Read the first speeding arrest.

Earlier deaths abroad

The first known person killed by a motor car in Britain was Bridget Driscoll in London in 1896. Deaths involving steam-powered vehicles occurred even earlier.

From 1899 to Vision Zero

Traffic safety took decades to become a priority. Today New York City’s Vision Zero program aims to eliminate traffic deaths through lower speed limits, redesigned streets and enforcement. For professional drivers, pedestrian awareness is fundamental — especially at crosswalks, around buses and near Central Park. Read what to expect from a professional chauffeur.