Traffic Justice
Streetsblog Basics
ID Theft Gets More Resources From Cy Vance Than Traffic Crime [Updated]
If you've suffered a life-altering injury, or even lost a loved one, at the hands of a negligent New York City driver, there usually isn't much the authorities can do for you. To hear NYPD tell it, the department barely has the resources to investigate traffic deaths, let alone the thousands of pedestrian and cyclist injuries that occur every year. District attorneys are so flummoxed by weak traffic laws that they can't muster the wherewithal to push for new ones. And while some on the City Council would like to help, their influence is limited.
August 16, 2012
Myth: DWI Killers Should Expect Severe Penalties in New York State
When a Long Island judge last month acquitted a drunk driver of manslaughter on the grounds that the pedestrian he struck was also intoxicated, the decision sparked shock and outrage. But the case of Robert Core was only the latest in which an area motorist all but escaped punishment for killing while under the influence.
August 15, 2012
As Clara Heyworth’s Killer Walks, Judge Questions Prosecutors in Her Case
As expected, criminal charges against the driver who fatally struck Brooklyn pedestrian Clara Heyworth have been dropped. Unexpected was a critique of the case from the bench, as a judge today lambasted prosecutors for abandoning efforts to bring a suspected DWI killer to justice.
August 8, 2012
After NYPD Blamed the Victim, Brooklyn DA Will Reconstruct Lefevre Crash
Months after NYPD blamed cyclist Mathieu Lefevre for his own death, prosecutors with the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes continue their investigation into the crash. Meanwhile, the Department of Motor Vehicles has suspended the license of the truck driver who police say fatally struck Lefevre, then left the scene.
August 7, 2012
Driver Cleared for Killing Manhattan Cyclist Says He Was “Probably” Speeding
A driver who killed a Manhattan cyclist last summer and was not charged or ticketed for the crash later told authorities he was likely speeding at the time of the collision.
July 31, 2012
Council Members Call on Ray Kelly to Reform NYPD Crash Investigations
Commissioner Ray Kelly and the New York City Police Department cannot continue to let thousands of serious injuries caused by dangerous driving go uninvestigated each year, said a group of City Council members, street safety advocates, and victims' families on the steps of City Hall today.
July 25, 2012
DWAI Unlicensed Hit-and-Run Killer Not Charged for Death of Harlem Man
A driver who left a trail of carnage through East Harlem, killing an innocent bystander, has been sentenced to as little as a year in jail after she escaped charges for taking a life.
July 18, 2012
Two Dead in the Bronx as Killer Drivers Continue to Game NY Legal System
Two people are dead and another is in critical condition after separate hit-and-run crashes in the Bronx this weekend.
July 16, 2012
Succeeding Where Albany Failed, Pennsylvania Strengthens Hit-and-Run Law
Legislators in Pennsylvania this year did what Albany lawmakers could not: addressed a loophole in state law that gives hit-and-run drivers an incentive to leave the scene of a serious crash. But the arduous task of getting a bill to the desk of Governor Tom Corbett exemplifies the difficulty in holding reckless motorists accountable, even when they take lives.
July 11, 2012
How New York Traffic Laws Let Hit-and-Run Killers Drive Away Scot-Free
The scenario repeats itself with alarming frequency. A New York City pedestrian or cyclist is killed by a hit-and-run driver. The driver is eventually located by police, or turns himself in. The driver says he didn't see the victim, didn't know he had hit anyone. Prosecutors may or may not issue charges for leaving the scene. No additional charges are filed.
July 5, 2012