Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
New Black Box Rule Isn’t Enough to Hold Drivers Accountable For Ped Crashes
Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proposed a new rule requiring automakers to install event data recorders, known as EDRs or black boxes, in all light passenger vehicles. While the rule would expand the number of vehicles equipped to record critical information in the moments preceding a crash, that alone won't aid investigations of traffic deaths or strengthen cases against reckless drivers. For black boxes to help get to the bottom of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, changes to local crash investigation procedures and to EDR technology itself need to happen as well.
December 17, 2012
Queens DA Richard Brown: Probation for Driver Charged With Manslaughter
A motorist charged with driving drunk and killing an elderly man in Queens will get probation thanks to a plea deal with the office of District Attorney Richard Brown, according to the New York Post.
December 13, 2012
David Greenfield Monitoring Investigation of Crash That Killed Bystander
City Council Member David Greenfield is keeping an eye on the investigation into a fatal collision in Brooklyn last weekend, which so far points to the culpability of both drivers involved in the crash.
December 12, 2012
Spellman Verdict Highlights Continued Weakness of Drunk Driving Cases
A jury in the Bronx on Thursday found former NYPD detective Kevin Spellman guilty of second degree manslaughter for the death of Drane Nikac, the 66-year-old woman he hit with a government-issued sedan in Kingsbridge on the morning of October 30, 2009.
December 7, 2012
Margaret Chin and 1,000 Citizens Ask NYPD to Investigate Pedestrian Death
Council Member Margaret Chin's office has joined those calling for a full investigation into the death of Kwok Fu, the 82-year-old man who was struck by the driver of a National Guard truck on Canal Street.
November 28, 2012
Unlicensed Hit-and-Run Killer Gets Six Months for Death of Brooklyn Child
An unlicensed driver who killed a 14-year-old child in Brooklyn will spend six months in jail and lose his license for a year.
November 27, 2012
Three NYC Traffic Deaths, Three Very Different NYPD Investigations
Police are still looking for a cyclist who appears to have been involved in the crash that killed Kyle Larson, the 20-year-old skateboarder who last week was run over by the driver of a delivery truck on Union Square West. If the cyclist is believed to have contributed to the crash, police should try to bring him in. Nevertheless, the NYPD’s search points to a double standard when it comes to traffic fatality investigations.
November 26, 2012
Is the Truck Driver Who Killed Roxana Sorina Buta Still Behind the Wheel?
NYC DOT has not responded to Streetsblog queries concerning the death of Roxana Sorina Buta, the woman allegedly struck and killed by a DOT truck driver in a hit-and-run crash near Union Square.
November 15, 2012
Buta Lawsuit: No Charges or Summonses for Manhattan Hit-and-Run Death
A Department of Transportation truck driver who killed 21-year-old Manhattan pedestrian Roxana Sorina Buta was not issued a summons or charged for leaving the scene, and could be behind the wheel today, according to a lawsuit filed by the Buta family.
October 23, 2012
Ray Kelly Ignores Council Member Inquiry Into Death of Rubin Baum
NYPD is being characteristically closed-mouthed concerning the crash that killed Upper East Side pedestrian Rubin Baum, as Commissioner Ray Kelly has ignored a request from a City Council member to be apprised of the department's investigation.
October 19, 2012